Recess Time

Jackson Hole

2011-08-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here is our favorite picture.

Joplin, MO Tornado Damages

2011-06-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

We are finally on our trip to the Pacific Northwest. We left Thursday, June 16th, We spent the night at the KOA just north of Fort Smith at Alma, AR. Barb was following in the Honda CRV. She took this picture as I entered the Hopper Tunnel on I-540 south of Fayetteville, AR. She also took the picture below in the tunnel.

Even the pictures and video on TV didn’t prepare us for the damage in Joplin, MO. We briefly drove through town on our way to Kansas City.

This was once a McDonald’s restaurant.

This is what is left of Joplin High School!

Even the bark was stripped off the trees. It was eerie to see stumps of trees stacked in the streets awaiting removal.

Jellystone RV Park at Robert, LA

2011-06-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

Since we will be gone the rest of the summer, we decided to bring our four youngest grandkids to Jellystone RV Park for five days. They have been looking forward to this for some time. We left June 6th and would return June 10th.

There is plenty here to keep them busy. They seem to want to do everything at the same time.

They took the hayride and enjoyed singing songs about Yogi Bear as went rode around the park.

Paddle boats

Kayaks

Canoes

They had a ball on the water slide but were interrupted by afternoon thunderstorms and got to go back the next two afternoons on rain checks.

After four fun filled days we headed home on Friday with stops at the state capital in Baton Rouge and a tour of the battleship USS Kidd.

On the steps of the Capital

The Louisiana State Senate Chambers

The view from the top of the Capital

Boarding the USS Kidd

Close quarters; what no AC!

Things to see and places to climb!

The Trip Home

2011-04-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

We left Los Angeles at 3:00 PM on Monday with plans to make get as close to Arizona as possible with a planned stop at Banning, CA to have dinner with friends, We would not have intentionally chosen to leave LA during rush hour but had no choice. We wanted to make it down the road. With the fuel tanks (two 65 gallon tanks) at a little over a half full of diesel we hoped to make it to AZ where fuel was cheaper before refueling.

We made it to Banning, CA and went to eat with good friends Harold and Karen Gonser. We had a pleasant meal and visit before heading down the road towards the Arizona border.

We stopped for the night in Indio, CA at a very nice Best Western Motel, It was so nice there we wished we could have spent several days, but we needed to head home.

On our way down to breakfast on Tuesday morning we saw bees swarming around the flowers on the over ten foot tall cactus just outside the window by the stairs. With regret we left this oasis at Indio, CA and headed east. When we got to Quartzite, AZ we pulled off the Interstate and drove through the area to see what it looked like. We have always wanted to go there in January and February to experience the big RV gathering that attracts RVers from all over. Without the hundreds of RVs it didn’t look like much.

We stopped at Eloy, AZ northwest of Tucson to refuel and have dinner with our good friends and former pastor, John and Donna Guillott, They are currently working in the Tucson area as directors of the association of Baptist churches in that area. It was so good to see these friends and hear about the work that they are doing in that area. We spent the night in Tucson after another long day on the road.

On Wednesday morning we headed for New Mexico. We made it to Las Cruces, NM at lunch time and ate at La Posta de Mesilla Restaurant in historic Messilla.

After a hearty and filling Mexican meal it was back on the road again. We hit El Paso, TX at rush hour and spent over an hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Despite this slow down we made it to Fredricksburg, TX to spend the night.We will have to come back to this area and explore the Texas hill country.

Thursday morning we headed to the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch. It was easy to see why LBJ spent so much time on his ranch. Anyone would enjoy relaxing in this tranquil setting.

The family cemetery where LBJ was laid to rest is shaded by large oaks.

LBJ’s Air Force One is sheltered near his Texas White House where he carried out much of his Presidential duties and entertained world leaders.

The LBJ ranch house is large and inviting. We wished we had more time to explore the ranch but needed to head east and north if we were to get back to our daughter’s house in Corrigan, TX to pick up our car and head home on Friday.

Quick Trip to Los Angeles

2011-04-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

They always say to “Strike while the iron is hot” and “Good deals don’t last long”. Barb had found two Ford F650 SuperCrewzers online, a high priced red 2002 in IL and a reasonably priced white 2001 in AZ. When we were about to go to AZ, Barb found an even better deal on a red 2003 in CA. We knew it wouldn’t last long if it was as good as it sounded. Things really fell into place as we found a buyer for our 2008 GMC crew cab dually. We purchased tickets to Los Angeles for Easter morning with credit card air miles. We drove to Corrigan, TX the Thursday before Easter to show the prospective buyer our faithful 2008 GMC. The deal went smoothly as the buyer liked what he saw.

Easter Sunday we flew out of Houston International Airport at 6:00 AM full of excitement. In five hours we were landing at LAX. We knew that if the deal worked out we would spend five days to retrace our steps back to Texas to pick up our car and then head home to Louisiana. The opportunity to visit family in L A was lagniappe, as Cajuns here say, a little something extra. It was great to see Aunt Ester and her four daughters, Terry, Joni, Brenda, and Vickie and some of their family members.

We spent Easter night at a motel near the airport for a quick trip the next morning to Compton to check out the truck. With eager anticipation we headed to Compton the next morning in the rental car. We were only mildly disappointed in the truck. It looked great outside but the interior needed serious cleaning. All we needed now was to await the transfer of funds from our home bank to pay for it.

Our “new to us” truck had been used to transport cars to auto shows in the western region and also classic cars and hot rods to local shows. The company that currently owned it had a private showroom of 31 cars and with more being restored and customized.

Finally at 3:00 PM (5:00 PM Central time) the funds were transferred and we could leave with our new RV hauler. With over half a tank of diesel we were determined to get out of CA with its nearly$5.00 diesel and into AZ before buying fuel.

Mackinac Island

2010-08-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

We took the ferry to Mackinac Island. Although the day was overcast, everything was beautiful. We learned that although the island’s name is spelled Mackinac, it is pronounced “Mackinaw”. You may want to click on some of the pictures to get a better view.

It’s such a small world. The people behind us on the ferry were from Louisiana.

The ferry took us under the mighty Mackinac Bridge. It is 5.2 miles long, so is longer than the Golden Gate Bridge. The piers go down in the water over 200 feet to bedrock and rise over 500 feet above the water.

Notice the car on the bridge grate above.

As the ferry approaches the island we can tell that we are in for a treat.

The dock is a busy place with people, their baggage, and cargo.

Got bicycles? Well these rental places have them if you didn’t bring your own.

Just as soon as we got onto the street from the dock we were confronted with two major themes that are central to the island, flowers and horse power. All of your senses are aroused. There are only two vehicles on the island, an ambulance and a fire engine. Unfortunately the smell of flowers does not overcome the smell from the major byproduct of the horses. However the neat shops, bustle of activity, and quaint city streets keep your attention on positive things.

The streets and sidewalks are alive with activity. The buildings are all well kept and have an elegance of a bygone era. Bicycles of all sorts dart down the roads powered by people young and old. Some bicyclists are even dressed in business suits.

Huge draft horses pull wagons and carriages.

Carriages of all sorts can be seen, most are ordinary but some are elaborate.

We stopped for a lunch at a cafe by the lake. We sampled the local white fish and chips. Of course the fish wasn’t seasoned like our fish in Louisiana.

Walkers and bicyclists compete for space on the streets with the horse drawn carriages and wagons.

Despite the bustle of activity, the atmosphere is laid back as people play, shop and just sit back and enjoy.

Flowers abound everywhere, a stark contrast to what the island must be like in the winter when ferries don’t need to run because there is an “ice bridge” between here and the mainland.

The Grand Hotel (and someone’s arm) is a prominent feature on the island. We would love to tell you how beautiful the hotel is inside but we opted out when we found out they charge $10 to go inside. This is about where I dropped the lens cover for the camera while in the carriage. I had to jump out while it was moving, run back down the hill, pick up the cover, and then run back up the hill to catch up to the carriage then jump back in. I’m in better shape than I thought.

The Grand Hotel was not to be outdone with their flower gardens.

The horse drawn version of a modern day street sweeper was cleaning the streets. You would think this could be a competitor for the dirtiest job like on that TV show, but the winner is the guy with the cart and the shovel cleaning the streets.

The horses are well cared for. They only work a four hour day and have two inch thick rubber shoes to protect their hooves.

In the distance is Fort Mackinac. The clearing in between is the rifle range. The term get the lead out may well have come from the cost cutting measure used in the early days. The soldiers were sent out after a day at the rifle range to dig up the lead slugs from the bullets they had shot that day. The lugs were then melted and remade into slugs for new bullets since lead was so expensive.

The Arch was a neat place near the summit of the island. Lake Huron can be seen through the eye of the arch.

Bicyclists can also be seen through the eye as they travel the beach road around the island.

The coast along the island is very scenic.

The governor of Michigan stays in this home during official visits to the island.

Huge trees edge the park with a bark Missionary Chapel underneath the spread of the limbs.

Quaint houses line the streets. Notice the dog as he sticks his head through the spindles of the balcony.

Bed and breakfast lodging is abundant on the island.

The blue plate hanging from the back of each carriage and wagon show that we are not in the past but the present. The government has to license and tax everything.

The carriages are a common sight but the motor vehicle, the ambulance, at right is a rare sight on the island.

All those horses require hay as a wagon is loaded by a forklift at the docks.

Summer homes adorn the slopes above the beaches and harbor sharing the awesome view of Lake Huron.

As our day long excursion ends, we get a last look at the Grand Hotel.

Mackinac Bridge and St. Ignace, MI

2010-08-20T18:11:00.001-07:00

We left Leisure Lake Family Campground around 10:50 this morning after saying our goodbyes to all our HitchHiker friends. Barb was dreading the crossing of the Mackinac suspension bridge. It is about five miles long and is very tall. It turned out it wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be.

I forgot to put the SD card back in the computer this morning so we will have to wait until tomorrow to get some good pictures of the bridge.

We are now on Michigan’s upper peninsula at Lakeshore Park Campground in St. Ignace, MI. Tomorrow we will take a ferry to Mackinac Island. As we crossed the bridge Lake Michigan was to our left and Lake Huron was to our right below us.

We splurged tonight after we set up the camper. We went into St. Ignace to the Village Inn Restaurant.

We both ordered the rib dinner. It was 3/4 a rack of ribs surrounded by Duchesse potatoes with a braised tomato and steamed vegetables. It was delicious with huge portions as you can see above. It was tempting to eat it all but we decided to save half for tomorrow.

St. Ignace is a beautiful little harbor town at the base of the Mackinac Bridge.

Ferries leave the harbor in the wake of their jet drives for Mackinac Island as seagulls soar on the sea breeze.

St. Ignace has that special seaside charm.

The lighthouse is a focal point of the harbor.

Flowers border the streets adding extra charm.

Across the street you can see the Museum of Ojibwa Culture.

This is the view from my bedroom window.

This is a closer look at the view of Lake Michigan’s shore.

Michigan HitchHiker Mini Rally

2010-08-20T06:01:00.001-07:00

The Michigan Mini Rally is winding down.We started gathering on Saturday, August 14th at Leisure Lake Family Campground in Sumner, MI. A few had to leave yesterday and the rest of us head out today. It has been a great time. Although there were only a total of eleven rigs, it was a fun loving group who had a good time. It was our kind of group; while eating one meal we were planning the next meal. We hit all the good places to eat in this area. We played games: Pegs and Jokers, Mexican Train, washer toss, ladder golf and others.

This is a very nice campground. You can fish in the lake without a license since it is a private lake.

One side trip was to the Cider Mill Farm. Cider tasting, donuts, fresh produce & fruit, and wine tasting were available here.

It was a beautiful site with all the orchards and attractive barn buildings. With moderate temperatures it was a great outing.

Lunch at a Mennonite restaurant in Ithaca, MI was a real treat.

This is where it all happened. We gathered here throughout the day for various festivities from meals, to games , and just visiting.

We all gathered one morning for muggles, scrambled pancakes, for breakfast.

No rally is complete without a pot luck. What a spread we had!

No one went away hungry.

What a good looking group!

As we did on other nights, we enjoyed the warmth of a fire in the cool evening on the last night. Notice the blues and greens in the flames. It was fun to gather with old friends and make new friends. With heavy hearts we leave but know that we will run into each other down the road.

A Step Back in Time with Mark Twain at Hannibal, MO

2010-08-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

The first night on our maiden voyage with our new camper was at Fulton, MO. We were the only rig in a nice campground, Hidden Oaks CG, in a wooded rural setting.

We drove on into Hannibal on Friday and stayed at Mark Twain Cave and Campground.

While walking the streets of Hannibal, one can just visualize Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn scurrying along the streets on their way to their next adventure.

You can almost see Tom here by the picket fence next to Mark Twain’s house trying to talk other people into painting it for him.

Across the street is Becky Thatcher’s house. It is awaiting more funds for a complete renovation.

Around the corner is Huck Finn’s modest home.

The law offices of Samuel Clemen’s (Mark Twain) father are up the street from Becky Thatcher’s house. His father was never successful and died when Sam was eleven years old. To help his family make ends meet he was apprenticed to a printer.

Except for the paved streets and automobiles, the street front looks much the same as it did in Mark Twain’s time. We would have spent more time exploring the town but with temperatures in the upper nineties it was oppressive. We viewed the interesting exhibits in the air conditioned museum and then headed back to enjoy our new home.

Brand New Home

2010-08-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

We picked up our new home on August 9th. We had seen it back in May at the factory in Chanute, KS while looking at used HitchHiker units. It is a 2010 HitchHiker 38 LKTG Champagne. We spent two and a half days moving our things from one to the other in 100 degree heat.

It is two feet eight inches longer than our old 2001 HitchHiker Premier which was 36 1/2 feet long. The triple axle helps the new fifth wheel pull well. It pulls easier than our previous rig and we are getting as good or better mileage towing it.

Here is Barb with Rebecca and Ty on a previous trip to the factory before we picked it up.

Since we sold our house to our son and his wife, we wanted something nice to make up for not having a sticks and bricks home. This rig of our dreams has the Big Foot hydraulic leveling system to make set up much easier and lots of other bells and whistles.

This picture is looking from the bedroom/bath area through the kitchen into the living room. You can see our two new burgundy Lazy-Boy recliners just past the kitchen table.

The hide-a-bed couch sits in the rear with the flower arrangement on the shelf in front of the vista window.

Barb’s sister, Sharon, made the gorgeous flower arrangement that we put in front of the vista window.

The entertainment center in the living room has a large 42” TV with surround sound which is just above the electric fireplace. The glazed Cherry cabinets give our home a special warm feeling.

The kitchen has a beautiful grey solid surface counter top with graceful curves. The appliances have stainless steel fronts.

The four door refrigerator is very roomy and the microwave/convection oven is just above the stove to the left.

We replaced the standard comforter and pillows on the king size Select Comfort bed with a more stylish one.

At the foot of the bed there are many drawers and cabinet doors to store our things.

We have a nice large bathroom vanity. Across the hall is the stackable washer and dryer.

This spacious cargo compartment now has a roll out tray and is filled with all our stuff.

Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant, Shawnee, KS

2010-05-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

We took the grandkids out for a treat one evening, since it was Barb's and my birthdays. We went to Fritz’s diner in Shawnee, KS. http://www.fritzskc.com/

This fifties style diner was established in 1954 and the food is outstanding.

As you can see the diner has a railroad theme, but the reason makes this restaurant unique. The food is delivered by train.

The owner invented this unique delivery system when he had trouble getting waitresses.

You can see the food box just below the engine in the above picture with a platform just to the left..

Once the box gets to the right table an arm pushes it off onto an awaiting platform.

The food is then lowered mechanically to the table on a miniature elevator.

This was such a great dining experience! We topped our meal with handmade milk shakes.

If you are ever in the Kansas City area just check it out. There are several locations: Kansas City, KS, Shawnee, KS, and The Crown Center, KC MO.

Kansas City Hot Air Balloon Invitational, Gardner, KS

2010-05-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Centennial Park in Gardner, KS at about 7:00 PM. Hundreds of others had already come to watch the balloons launch too. Parking was at a premium. We had a long walk once we found a parking spot. Although a few balloons were stretched out on the ground, none were being inflated yet.

After twenty minutes fans were being used to blow air into the balloon gondolas prior to using the burners to heat them for launch.

Soon a couple of balloons were ready to launch.

The first one to launch went up and right over our heads.

The kids played while waiting for more balloons to launch.

As the sun began to set, more balloons were inflated. Notice the cat balloon on the right complete with protruding face, legs and tail. These balloons were not destined to launch but would sit on the ground and light up the night. The pilots fired up their burns from time to time to keep the gondolas inflated.

Once the balloons were up with gondolas inflated and all lined up, the crowd was allowed to venture close..

The pilots were available to answer questions.

Everyone had a good time and left the festival with fond memories of a special and unique opportunity.

Balloon Launch Video

Lighting the Night with Gondolas

Dinosaurs Unearthed, Union Station, Kansas City, MO

2010-05-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

Dylan and Hailey were excited to go to the Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit at the Union Station in Kansas City, MO. http://dino.unionstation.org/index.php

Part of the exhibit was associated with the Science Station which is a permanent exhibit at the Union Station. There are a variety of science activities for youth. Dylan and Hailey check out the helicopter.

Just keep away from the bonze gators teeth.

There was a tree house to check out.

Thank goodness it eats plants. Boy does this look real!

Young paleontologists can look for fossils.

He found one! It looks like a turtle shell.

After finding the jaw bone at right, she looks for more bones.

Life sized dinosaurs put these beasts in perspective. These animatronic figures move and roar. They are very realistic. Triceratops is quite large.

If this one gets a sore throat it is in trouble.

This guy is really scary. We would be only a snack.

Even these guys could put a hurt on you.

It looks like Hailey wants to make friends with this scary guy.

We had a great time at Union Station! we even carried away some loot!

Deanna Rose, Overland Park, KS

2010-05-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

The grandkids had a ball at a 12 acre farm oriented park in Overland Park, Deanna Rose Farmstead . The park is named after a female law officer who was killed in the line of duty after pulling over a man in a traffic stop. Her husband established this park in her memory. On week days there is no entrance fee. There are charges for some activities like feeding milk to the goats, feeding animals, wagon rides, and fishing. The park is patterned after a turn of the century farm.

They could even take their turn trying to milk a cow. It had all the right parts without a moveable leg to kick the bucket.

Feeding the goats was fun.

Just don’t get cornered!

Fishing was one of the favorite activities.

Hailey gets help bringing in a fish.

Dylan brings in a big one.

Watching the geese was fun.

Isn’t this a cutie! The prairie dogs were fun to watch.

Looks like Texas with longhorn cattle.

More goats, but Hailey was a bit reluctant.

Did people really do this to get water long ago?

Bear Cave Trail, Petit Jean State Park, AR

2010-05-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

On the way to the Bear Cave trail, we stopped at the Cedar Creek Falls overlook.

It was interesting to look down at the area we hiked just a couple of days earlier. Notice the people on the trail below.

The grandkids had been begging to stop and look at this “castle” which turned out to be a water tower built by the Conservation Corps.

Dylan and Hailey check out a likely den along the Bear Cave trail.

The trail was a short half mile loop with only a gradual incline.

Another likely bear cave.

Here are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore.

This alcove has rocks to climb.

Back to the truck after a short hike.

Petit Jean Automobile Museum

2010-05-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

On top of the mountain near Petit Jean State Park, there is an automobile museum.

It has an interesting collection of antique and classic cars, like this early Model T Ford.

This is an early model of Mercedes Benz.

This is a 1930’s Auburn.

President Clinton cruised the streets of Little Rock in this 1967 Ford Mustang convertible when he was governor of Arkansas.

Barb’s favorite was this 1958 Corvette, although she would prefer a red one.

This early MG-TC was nice.

This late 1920’s model Chevrolet was nice.

Cedar Creek Falls Hike

2010-05-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

A large, adventurous group from our chapter undertook the hike to Cedar Creek Falls.
The trail is two miles out and then of course two miles back.

The scenic beauty helped somewhat to take our minds off the often steep and rocky trail.

The recent rains added to the water features.

The kids had more energy than we did.

They had fun climbing the large boulders that they encountered along the way.

We often stopped to recharge our batteries as we worked our way down the switchbacks.

Cedar Creek was bank to bank with the runoff from the recent rains. Thank goodness there was a bridge.

This bridge would be the scene of “the Troll” demanding money from these two to cross the bridge on the way back.

Even the kids took a rest from time to time, but more than likely just to let us catch up.

Dylan discovered the small Ringneck Snake that you can see in the middle of this picture

as it peeks out from the top right of the hollow in the log.

The grandkids stopped to lift up boulders on the way.

At last we reach the fabulous Cedar Creek Falls.

A quick rest and we head back.

Dylan was coaxed into climbing up on the cantilever log caught between two trees in the background.

It’s up and out as we climb back up the switchbacks to Mather Lodge.

Back at Mather Lodge, the Troll, (Mike O’Brien) our chapter president, still has energy to tease and tickle Hailey.

Petit Jean State Park

2010-05-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

Nine rigs from our local Good Sam RV chapter, the Cenla Roadrunners, plus one guest rig took a long weekend trip out of state to Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas. We chose this park not only for its scenic beauty but a couple, Jess and Mary, from our chapter were serving as campground hosts at the park. Our Grandkids were excited to come here. They were looking forward to the mountains, waterfalls, hiking trails, and camping.

The four day trip was a busy time of checking out the trails, museum, and just enjoying each other’s company while taking in the natural beauty that surrounded us.

Nearly ever evening was a time of food and fellowship. Our chapter has a reputation of planning the next meal while enjoying the current meal.

The kids had a great time riding bikes,

roasting marshmallows, and just playing together.

We even took in a few sunsets.

Lincoln Parish RV Park

2010-05-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

On our trip to Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas, we stopped at one of our favorite campgrounds. We wanted to share this park with our grandchildren who were traveling with us. It is a great park with plenty of shady sites. Many sites back up to and overlook the lake.

Dylan and Hailey enjoyed running down the slope towards the lake. Since we live on the plains in Cajun country this is an experience that they can only have when they travel away from home.

There is a wonderful paved trail that encircles the lake.

There are plenty of places to stop along the path and enjoy the sites.

This looks like a good place to sit and read a book. The grandkids enjoyed the ducks in the lake.

Easter Egg Hunts

2010-04-01T18:43:00.001-07:00

This past week was full of Easter egg hunts. The grandkids, Hailey and Dylan, were involved in hunts at school on Friday and with Jared and Kaci’s work on Saturday.

Notice Hailey’s Easter shoes with high heels. She calls them heel highs. Wouldn’t you know that my granddaughter would follow fashion before function. Hailey, center in right picture, is off at a sprint as fast as you can in high heels with her kindergarten class.

Great niece, Shelbi, has found an egg in the grass.

The eggs are in the basket and now it is time for a little bubble blowing before lunch.

Dylan, second from left, is off to find hidden eggs with his first grade class.

A last minute search for over-looked eggs.

Dylan, Shelbi, and Hailey show off their face paintings at Saturday’s egg hunt.

A visit with the Easter bunny. Hailey was scared of the bunny, so no picture of her with the furry friend.

Hailey holds up her prize for most eggs for the girl’s in her age group.

Dylan is excited to win the prize for most eggs for the boys in his age group.

Tirouge

2010-03-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

It was Chase’s turn to show. He had a hog too but it didn’t make weight so he couldn’t show it. Chase’s heifer, Ti Rouge, is older than most calves. Most youth choose younger calves since they are easier to show and handle. Chase chose a Santa Gertrudis. The two of them looked good out in the ring. Showing a calf is new for him.

It was tense waiting while the youth paraded their calves before the judge.

Chase looked so proud as he led Ti Rouge around the ring.

The judge put the calves in reverse order so we waited as the calves were ruled out one by one. Chase’s face lit up when the he was left in the ring with only two other youth. He got third place which was really good! He placed fifth on his scrapbook. Chase won a belt buckle for being fifth all-around calf scramble participant.

Hog Heaven

2010-03-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

There were so many hogs here at the livestock show, that you would swear we were in hog heaven. There were Chester White, Duroc, Hampshire, Poland China and other breeds that we never heard of before. It was Ty’s turn to show his hog, a Duroc.

At first we thought his hog was camera shy because we couldn't get a good picture of him.

The grandkids put a lot of work into their animals. They raise them and get them ready to show. Often they get attached to them knowing that they will give them up at the end of the show. Ty didn’t place this year but he got fourth in his class last year.

Our oldest grandson, Chase, set up the display for his heifer. He participated in the calf scramble at the Houston Rodeo last year. He was one of the winners so he was given money to purchase a heifer to show this year. All the winners from last year set up a display with their heifer. Chase chose a Santa Gertrudis calf. His late Paw Paw helped him name the heifer, Ti Rouge (Little Red in French). They will be judged on their display and a scrapbook they made. He will show his heifer tomorrow.

Space Center Houston

2010-03-16T10:48:00.001-07:00

We took a day off from the Livestock Show to show the grandkids some of the attractions in the Houston area. Ty and Rebecca had a great time at Space Center Houston.

They have a lot of play activities as well as educational activities and displays. The grandkids took advantage of the opportunities.

We took a tram tour to see the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility Training Center at NASA. This building is huge. It is large enough to contain life size mock-up models of the International Space Station, several of the Space Shuttle, and various other modules used in the space program.

This is a mock-up of the Space Shuttle minus the wings. Astronauts can practice actions that they would take while in space. Technicians even use the mock-ups to plan and even walk astronauts through procedures to fix problems while in space via video.

Astronauts can practice using this model of the Space Shuttles articulating arm to maneuver loads. The model is made much stonger than the one on the shuttle. Since the actual arm works in weightless environments, it cannot even pick itself up while on Earth.

Another tram stop displayed early rockets and engines that were used in the early era of the space program.

Ty and Rebecca had fun climbing around on this rocket and launcher.

Inside this building is an actual Saturn V rocket used in the Apollo program that put early astronauts in space.

In 1968 I saw an actual Saturn V rocket while on a tour of Cape Canaveral with Air Force ROTC. Of course it was vertical rather than horizontal. We were able to go up into the Saturn V assembly building which could house up to four of these huge rockets. It was awesome to look down and up at a rocket from a platform midway up inside the building. I still remember the thrill of looking at an actual rocket that would soon be launched into space.

It must be awesome to travel into the heavens and see God’s handy work up close.

“God made two great lights – the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and night, and separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:16-18

Houston Livestock Show

2010-03-15T07:18:00.001-07:00

We are currently in Houston, TX at the South Main RV Park. It is close to Reliant Stadium where our Texas grandchildren are showing livestock this week. The park is also close to the renowned cancer hospital, M. D. Anderson, Texas Children’s Hospital and other hospitals. The park is full of people here for the two weeks of rodeo and livestock shows and those here for treatment at the local hospitals.

Here at Reliant Stadium and Exhibition Hall, our granddaughter, Rebecca, was the first to show her animal. Yesterday afternoon she showed her hog, Rocky, which is a Chester White.

We were nervous but hopeful as she entered the part of the ring where the prejudging takes place. We were so excited when she was selected to go to the section of the show ring where only the top hogs in the class would be judged. Elation turned to concern when we realized that a dozen hogs had been selected rather than the usual ten. That meant two hogs would have to be culled.

Once her hog was penned we knew she was OK. Her hog got ninth in its class. To be in the top ten is really great. The students whose hogs didn’t make the top ten will only get market price for the animal they have pampered and labored over. The top ten will be sold at a special auction where they will be rewarded for their labors.

They lured her away while her hog was led away by telling her she could play with a friend’s new puppy.

The next few days will be rough for Rebecca. She has gotten very attached to Rocky, her show pig.

We ended the day by cooking a sauce picante made with pork sausage for all the family here. Luckily Rebecca didn’t think about what goes into sausage!

Back from the Valley

2010-02-13T18:33:00.001-08:00

Notice our New Orleans Saints shirts that we are wearing proudly. We are back from the Rio Grande Valley. We will miss the fresh fruits and vegetables that are available there. We left Wednesday and drove to Ganado, TX which is about a hundred miles south of Houston and stayed at Shady Oaks RV Park.

That evening there were a dozen deer at the back fence of the campground, about 125 feet away from our camper.

We drove back Thursday in the rain to Livingston, TX for a visit with our daughter and her family. It was good to see the grandkids. On Friday we drove the remaining three hours to home. It had snowed during the night but was gone by the time we arrived in the afternoon. Gone are the warmer temperatures that we enjoyed in the Valley.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend upon your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take..."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Back Across the Border

2010-02-05T19:27:00.001-08:00

It was a beautiful day today! The rain has finally quit. Everyone must have had the same idea. The parking lot near the border was nearly full when we got there. We grabbed our satellite dish from the back of the truck and headed for the border crossing. The sidewalks were full of Winter Texans and vendors out to take advantage of the nearly seventy degree weather. We headed down to Angel’s to find the street artist. We saw the crowd around him before we were able to see him. He was just finishing a vase so we waited. We showed him our dish and roughly explained what we wanted him to put in the painting. He said that it would be about an hour before he would finish it.

It was lunch time and we were hungry. We headed farther down the busy streets to try a restaurant that some friends had recommended. A couple of blocks down we found the Red Snapper Restaurant. Stairs led upstairs to the dining area.

We beat the crowd and were promptly seated. We tried the garlic shrimp and it was good.

They had a singer that entertained the guests as they ate.

Once we finished we hurried back to Angel’s in anticipation of our masterpiece. “Picasso” had already finished when we arrived. The results were different than what we expected but none the less beautiful. If we had it to do over we would have stayed to watch and help guide the results. We rushed back home carrying our new treasure. We have already had several people stop and tell us how well they like it.

Shortly after we got back our friends, Barb and John, from Alabama arrived at the RV park. It was good to see them again. We had to put the air conditioner on since the temperature was well into the seventies.

“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds O Lord. …His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.”

Habakkuk 3:2-4

Rain, Rain go Away!

2010-02-04T11:06:00.000-08:00

There are a number of flea markets here in the Rio Grande Valley. There are two in Weslaco. The Don Wes flea market is open on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The Mexican flea market is only open on Wednesdays and starts early and closes down after lunch as vendors pack up and leave their make-shift booths. Barb had not yet gotten to go to the Mexican flea market and she decied that we would go on Wednesday this week since it was our last chance before we head home from the valley. So yesterday was the day. We were supposed to have light rains in the morning and heavy rains after lunch. They blew the weather forecast again. We had heavy downpours overnight. Knowing that selection diminishes as the day goes by, we put on our rain boots and headed out at about 8:00. When we got there the parking lot was flooded. We went in the entrance closest to the vendors so we wouldn't have to walk far in the rain or wade very far. A man in the parking lot stopped us but he didn't speak English and we don't speak Spanish. We didn't understand each other so he waved us on in. The water was up to the floor boards of the car but we found a parking spot that was not too wet. Later we figured out that we had entered the vendors entrance. We spent about an hour looking around. As we shopped the rain subsided and more vendors braved the weather and set up as we browsed. After finding little to buy we left and proceded down to the farmers market across from Don Wes flea market. We bought more peppers, a cantaloupe, and another pineapple. It is wonderful to have fresh fruits and vegetables so readily available.

"...He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,

and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?

Are not even the tax collectors doing that?"

Matthew 6:45-46

Nuevo Progresso, Mexico

2010-02-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

Tuesday we went back to Nuevo Progresso, Mexico. We were meeting our friends for lunch and needed to schedule dental work.

Mexican officials are making sure that this border town is safe for the thousands of Winter Texans that cross this border and shop, dine and enjoy this city.

Federal troops have a presence at the foot of the bridge as you enter the city. The streets are busy as usual and we saw no difference in the atmosphere from last year.

This street artist was an interesting sight. He looks like a silver statue. He startles some passers-by when he suddenly moves or touches them. How can he stand so still?

We both needed routine dental work. Our RV friends from Louisiana were already there that morning finishing their dental work. We made an appointment for the afternoon and then went out to eat at a local restaurant.

The view of the city from Arizona's Restaurant on the second floor added to the ambiance of our meal. Looking north we could see the International Bridge directly behind the cell tower and the Mexican check point to the left on the street below.

Looking south we could see that one of our favorite restaurants, Old Town Restaurant, is right next door. Further down the street is Mustre Dental which is the dentist of some of our friends. Much further down the street is the multi-storied Angel's building. That is where we earlier saw the silver street artist.

All of us enjoyed one of the daily specials which was two meals for $9.99. The meals were very good considering the price. We have eaten better meals in Mexico but not at that price.

Mariachi singers can be seen in the background. Later they made the rounds of the tables and serenaded the diners.
We were fascinated by this street artist last year. He uses cans of spray paint and then uses torn pieces of poster board as brushes. It is incredible to watch him as he dips his "brush" into globs of paint he sprays on his "palette" and creates his paintings on glass vases, lids of cans, and objects brought in by his customers.

Here he paints a desert mountain scene on a glass vase. We then went back to the dentist for our routine dental work in the very well equipped office of Dr. Edggar Contreras and his wife.

After our dental appointment we found that our favorite artist has just finished another masterpiece. This one is on a satellite dish for one of his customers. We plan to bring our dish later this week for him to beautify it with a personalized mountain scene. The price is only $25 to $30. How about that?

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!' "

Isaiah 52:7

Kite Fest at South Padre Island

2010-01-30T19:47:00.000-08:00

South Padre Island hosted its tenth annual Kite Fest this weekend. Teams from all over North America were here to show off their high flying talents. Although it was not a competitive event it was apparent that every participant was up to showing off their skills. Hundreds of spectators braved the cold and windy weather to watch this spectacular show! Each participant or team guided the gyrations of their kite or kites to specially selected music.

Some kites were flown by teams that guided their kites in graceful aerobatics.

This kite had three 120 foot tails.

How these teams keep the lines from getting tangled as they move from

one formation to another is a real mystery!

These colorful kites just float in the air from their tethers in the sand.

These five kites were interconnected and flown by one person. The winds drug

him back and forth on the sand.

Circle upon circle this kite spiraled through the sky.

This huge kite hovered over the sands of South Padre Island.

More colorful kites fill the sky.

The youngest participant, who was nine years old, guided this kite in gyrations to upbeat rap music.

As we left the festival we observed this young man as he was pulled along on some sort of wheeled board by the parasail he was controlling.

This ring kite rose above the sand as we left the beach with its chilly winds.

Kansas Day

2010-01-29T06:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a group of Kansas residents, former Kansas residents and wannabe Kansas residents gathered to celebrate Kansas Day here at Alamo Rose RV park. It turns out that Kansas became a state of the U.S. on January 29th. About twenty people from the park showed up for this social. As introductions were made the commonality of our Kansas ties was disturbed by a divisive element that made its presence known. Much like the friction between Kansas and Missouri residents that has been felt since the "Border Wars" during the Civil War, factions took sides. Groups took sides as Kansas Jayhawk fans and Kansas State Widcat fans made themselves known. Especially with the big rivalry game coming up on Saturday, tension in the room was apparent. All kidding aside everyone put the rivalry aside and enjoyed the finger foods and time to meet fellow Kansans.

Culinary Opportunities

2010-01-28T06:41:00.000-08:00

The Rio Grande Valley provides many opportunities to eat out. We are always hearing about another "have to try" place to eat. This can be considered either a blessing or a curse. On Thursday we took our friends, Larry and Gloria, to the Riverside Restaurant in Mission, TX for the special of the day, pork tenderloin sandwiches. We didn't warn them in advance about the size of the portions because they probably would not believe us. Of course you can always save the extra for another meal. The restaurant is right on the Rio Grande River and Mexico can be seen across the narrow stretch of river.
While we were eating we saw US Border Patrol agents cruise by in a patrol boat. We also saw two patrol cars just days earlier near the river when we crossed the river bridge into Neuavo Progresso. We appreciate the dedication of these officers who help protect our borders.

Garcia's Mexican Show

2010-01-26T17:31:00.000-08:00

We went down to Nuevo Progresso, Mexico with six other couples tonight to a show. The band plays Oldies for an hour and a half and then a dance group performs traditional Mexican dances. It was very good!

They asked who had birthdays or anniversaries. After all the birthdays were recognized, all of us pointed out Larry and Gloria who just celebrated their fiftieth anniversary on Sunday. They played a special song and they got to dance by themselves on the dance floor.

Sorry, but to see the video you will have to tilt your screen or head (whichever is easier) so it is not sideways. I'll try to figure out if it can be turned and then repost it.

Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration

2010-01-24T18:17:00.000-08:00

The weather has been beautiful this week. There has been some fog but no rain. The lows have been in the 50s & 60s with highs in the 70s and 80s although it has been windy. I finally took my tall flag pole down. It is just too windy most days.

Today we attended church services here in the RV park. Last week there were 239 people at the services. There were somewhere around 200 again today. The pastor is good and always has a sermon based on scripture. After church services it was off to Golden Coral to celebrate Larry and Gloria's fiftieth wedding anniversary. It was nice to honor these special friends on this special day. All seven of the couples from Louisiana attended the celebration. It was back to our individual campers to watch the NFL playoffs. We watched the first game and then were able to squeeze in the ice cream social here at the park before the Saints - Vikings game.

"May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth."

Proverbs 5:18

Flea Market and U.S Border Patrol Tour

2010-01-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

We have been busy here in South Texas. Four more couples came in from Louisiana that we know from our Good Sam Club. There are now seven couples here that we know from the Louisiana Go0d Sam Club. Nearly everyday there is something going on. Wednesday, January 20th we went back to a large flea market here in the valley. It was interesting to look but we didn't find much to buy. Across the street was a fruit market. We picked up fresh fruit and vegetables. Prices were very good so we bought cherry tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce, red bell peppers, and pineapple. They core and peel the pineapple for you. They even give samples so you can taste them. We will go back and get oranges, grapefruit and Pablono peppers.

On Thursday, January 21st we attended our weekly Escapee Club luncheon. Wayne and Barb Maxey came down form Rockport, TX to meet Barb and I. We have been conversing by email and wondering if we are distant cousins. He will try to find his ancestors in the book, The Maxey's of Virginia, that I let him borrow.

In the afternoon we took a tour of the Border Patrol station at Weslaco, TX. They host a great tour. These highly professional agents put their lives on the line daily to protect our country. We learned that every agent must be able to speak Spanish no matter where they are stationed. They explained all the different pieces of equipment that are used to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into our country from Mexico. They use vehicles, horses, ATVs, boats, ground radar, motion sensors, and night vision devices as well as agents on the ground and in the air. We also got to see some of the weapons they carry. For obvious reasons they wear body armor. They drag dirt roads and trails so they can go back and check for foot prints especially when motion sensors are set off. They showed pictures of loads of drugs that have been caught. When we went back to a control room that over looks the area where illegals are questioned upon capture, they told us that they had picked up twenty-eight illegals already that day. I bought a Border Patrol hat but I don't think I will wear it when I cross the border.

" I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

Psalms 4:8

Alamo Rose RV Park, Rio Grande Valley, TX

2010-01-16T10:41:00.000-08:00

We finally got some warmer and drier weather! It is to be in the seventies next week and nearly seventy this afternoon. It will also be clear or partly cloudy for the rest of the week. This will be a welcome change since it has been rainy and cool since we got here.

Our site is just as you enter the park . You can look down the street and see the activity building and office.

If you look the other way you can see the gate and the guardhouse at the entrance.

We have been busy since we got here. Sunday night after we got here our neighbors, Ray and Carol, who we met last year for a week, invited us to go out and eat with them. We went to a Chinese restaurant. It was good.

On Monday we went to the HitchHiker luncheon in McAllen. There were 88 HitchHikers there. Five of the couples were some that we knew. It was good to visit and check up on what they have beeen doing. Monday night we played Mexican train dominoes here at the park with several other couples.

Tuesday I spent the morning at a wood carving group here in the park. There were about six of us. It was an enjoyable time and I met some fellow wood carvers. Meanwhile Barb was signing us up for a Border Patrol tour next Thursday and did laundry.

Wednesday, we went to the big flea market here, Don Wes, with Jerry & Benola and Jim & Mary Beth. It was fun to see our friends from our local Good Sam Chapter, the Cenla Roadrunners. From there we went to this great hamburger cafe. It has no sign and is only open from 11:00 until about 3:00 or whenever they run out of hamburger meat. If you know what street it is on you can find it by looking for all the cars. They make huge hamburgers and the best onion rings. Each couple split a hamburger since they are so large. We had to wait in a long line to put in our order while part of us waited to get an empty table. It took about thirty minutes to get our order but it was worth the wait. We all left full! From there we went back to Bit of Heaven RV Park where the other couples are staying. The men went to see the Mexican flea market that is next door to their park. It was definitely interesting but none of us bought anything.

Thursday, we picked up our friends, Chuck and Kathy and went to the Escapees luncheon in Weslaco. It was good to see them again and get caught up. There were about thirty people at the luncheon. After the luncheon we went to an RV show in Mercedes. All these small cities seem to run into each other. We looked at RVs and bought a few RV accessories and then went back to our rigs.

Friday Chuck & Kathy picked us up and took us to a luncheon with another group, the RV Dreamers.We ate Mexican food and visited. When we finished we went back to Chuck & Kathy's rig to visit. When we were about to leave I got a call from Larry & Gloria that had just gotten in the day before. They had stopped by our rig but we weren't there. Since we were about to leave, Chuck and Kathy brought us home. We visited with Larry and Gloria a while and then called our other Cenla Roadrunner friends. Barb suggested we all go out to eat so we all met at their park and went to a small Mexican restaurant nearby. We had a good time visiting and then all headed back to our rigs. We have at least two more couples from our Good Sam chapter that are coming in this week.

This morning we went to the Saturday breakfast at our park. They have a variety of menu items. It all looked good. We RVer's sure know how to eat!

Heading for Warmer Weather

2010-01-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

We left our home base in Oberlin, LA on January 9th while we were having record lows. Saturday morning, the day we left for the Rio Grande Valley of Texas it was to be seventeen degrees. We planned on leaving at 10:00 AM after it warmed up a bit. I got up early to check on an inside dual tire that had been abnormally low the day before when I had checked tire pressure on the truck and camper tires. I discovered that it had dropped fifteen pounds in pressure. I decided to put the spare in its place and fill it to 80 pounds and put it in the cargo compartment and get it fixed later. It was awfully cold to be changing a tire. I warmed up the truck and then put our three hibiscus plants on the floor of the back seat of the dually. Barb was not aware we would have these three hitch hikers. I knew that they would die if left at home and that they would enjoy the warmer climate.

We were able to leave shortly after 11:00 despite the tire change. We travelled in two vehicles to see what it would be like. It will be nice to have the smaller vehicle to run around in for the month we will be in the Valley. Barb went ahead to get lunch while I stopped to dump the holding tanks. Barb had the GPS in the car and would warn me about upcoming turns. Most of the time I led with the truck but sometimes Barb would go ahead to scout out fuel prices or a place to stop and eat that had a large enough spot for the rig. It was sure nice to travel without hearing Barb's excited screams about driving too fast and too close to other cars and objects while turning. We had hoped to make it to Victoria,TX for the night but stopped just north of there at Ganada. The campgound was nice. As I was pulling to our campsite I saw two deer about fifty feet away with at least nine or ten buddies on the other side of the fence.

Shady Oaks Campground was a good spot to spend the night. We slept well but heard the furnace kick on a lot. It got down to around 20 degrees overnight according to our outside thermometer. We headed south again in the morning. Barb finally got a hold of the people at Alamo Rose RV Park in Alamo, TX about 10:00 AM and they said it would be okay to come in a day early. We arrived at 4:30 and checked in. We settled in after checking out several sites. It will be nice to relax for a while! God gave us traveling grace as we made this trip!

The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day , nor the moon at night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life. Psalm 121:6-7

Bardstown & My Old Kentucky Home

2009-09-24T17:05:00.000-07:00

This post was post-dated to reflect the actual day of the visit. Poor internet connectivity made it impossible to post it in a timely manner!

We toured My Old Kentucky Home State Park in Bardstown, KY. It was named from the song of the same name. Stephen Foster who wrote the song was a frequent visitor to this mansion. The home belonged to Judge Rowan. It is obvious from the lyrics of the song that Foster enjoyed his visits here.
This statue shows Stephen Foster with his flute. Although most of us associate Foster with piano, a piano is not easy to travel with so he carried a flute to try out his tunes.

The guide was very informative and added a lot of detail to the tour.
The grave of Judge Rowan is a prominent feature of the family cemetery on the grounds.
The Rowan mansion originally had three full floors, but a fire destroyed the third floor and when it was rebuilt they only made a loft where the third floor had been. The two bottom floors had thirteen foot ceilings. On the outside several red stars are located at the top of each floor. Through these stars large threaded rods pass from one side of the house to the other. These rods are positioned on all sides. A nut is used at the end of each rod to tighten up the house. It must be done a couple of times a year. If this is not done then the brick walls could fall outward and collapse.
Russ and Tom check out the New Carriage House while John and Gayla are seen in the foreground.
Several carriages are on display inside the carriage house.
This is the Old Carriage House. When it was built it was the talk of the community. People couldn't believe anyone would build such a strange carriage house. The New Carriage House was built to end the local gossip. It is now used as a place for outdoor gatherings such as weddings.

This beautiful old Magnolia was near the New Carriage House. We all commented about the odd shape of this Magnolia.

Touring My Old Kentucky Home State Park left us all quite hungry. We went to the soda fountain at the Hurst Drug Store on the town square on the recommendation of the clerk at the gift shop at the park. It was great advice! They serve old fashioned hamburgers and make milk shakes from scratch like they used to do.

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go prepare a place for you. And if I go prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am , there you may be also." John 14: 2-3

Don't Trust Your GPS / Bardstown, KY

2009-09-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Before leaving Kentucky Horse Park we typed in WalMart for a quick trip. We were led through country and suburban roads for several miles before crossing I-75 and being led around the block to a Sam's Club. We then typed in WalMart and found one a couple of miles away. On the way back we were routed down I-75 and back to the park that was less than a mile off I-75. Why didn't the GPS lead us down I-75 to begin with.

While traveling to Bardstown we traveled through beautiful rolling hills in the Kentucky countryside.

Some people have spent a lot of money to impress others with their homes!

Historic Bardstown, KY has a unique courthouse encircled with a round-about in the center of town. The town is known for the Rowan manson about which Stephen Foster wrote "My Old Kentucky Home" and Bourban whiskey.

On the lawn of the courthouse is a motorcycle made of barrels.

After arriving on Tuesday our group decided to check out one of the local distilleries since we are in the Bourbon Capital of the World. Six couples in two trucks set out to visit Maker's Mark distillery near Bardstown, KY. After the address was entered in the GPS of each truck, the two groups were led on a "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" type route down narrow country roads until we arrived at the distillery. We were sure to get good directions for the return trip to the campground.

Notice the bottle shapes cut into the shutters.

These vats contain the cooked liquid containing ground corn, red winter wheat and barley. Yeast has been added to the liquid to start the fermentation. This sour mash is allowed to ferment for three days. The vats are twelve feet across and twelve feet deep.

Ron listens as the tour guide explains how the sour mass is filtered and run through a double distilation process. Notice the two copper distillery tanks.

Finished Bourbon is bottled after aging in white oak barrels for several years.

Maker's Mark adds their distinctive trademark by sealing each bottle with red sealing wax by hand.

The guide explains how the raw whiskey is aged in barrels by storing, rotating, and testing.

White oak barrels are charred inside to give the raw, white whisky the charcteristic color and taste of Bourbon as it ages.

These barrels are aging in the rows called ricks. After several years of aging and testing the Bourbon is becomes a finished product and is bottled.

Our friend, John, is dipping his bottle to put on the unique seal at Maker's Mark gift shop.

Kentucky Horse Park

2009-09-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Kentucky Horse Park which is just north of Lexington, KY on Sunday. There were six of us HitchHikers traveling together. When we got there we found that at least two other rigs from our tour were already there. This is a state park that deals with the history of horses and the roll they have played in America. Some highlights of the park are the Parade of Breeds, Hall of Champions, International Museum of the Horse, and the American Saddlebred Museum. The park is site of many horse competitions and is now getting ready for Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games of 2010.

Double fenced pastures are everywhere. The double fences are used to keep stallions where they belong. All fences have rounded corners so that horses cannot get hurt in a corner.

The vast expanse of fenced pastures gives the park a tranquil atmosphere.

Everywhere you look are fenced pastures.
The Big Barn is 476 feet long and 75 feet wide. Talk about big!
The Parade of Breeds displayed a variety of beautiful horses each representing their breed. A Thoroughbred

An American Painted Horse

Morgan

Palomino

This small horse is an Arabian.

This huge horse is a Friesian draft horse.

Barb is dwarfed by Harley, the huge Friesian.

"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of a man;
the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who puts their hope in his unfailing love."
Psalm 147: 10-11

On the road again! Today we are traveling to Bardstown, KY.

Renfro Valley, Tennessee - Home of Kentucky Music

2009-09-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Renfro Valley near Mt. Vernon, KY on Thursday. We couldn't post the blog until today because the local WiFi was too weak and we couldn't hardly get enough bars on the air card to download email in the valley. We had to wait until we got to Lexington where we had better Internet connectivity.

Renfro Valley is the home of Kentucky Country Music. For seventy years now country musicians have come here to perform. It was a real treat to listen to extremely talented musicians pay tribute to not only country music, but all different genres of music.

The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame is located nearby. This hall of fame is well worth the time to visit. It honors Kentucky singers, song writers, performers and others who made significant contributions to music. Names such as Loretta Lynn, Dottie Rambo, John Michael Montgomery, Ricky Skaggs, and the Everly Brothers are just a few inductees to the hall of fame.

Renfro Valley is set up like an old timey village with many historic buildings that are located here or were brought in for display. There is a chapel and old school house located near the parking lot followed by numerous shops and the New Barn where big name performers come for concerts.

The Old Barn hosts shows several nights a week and often two shows a night on weekends. It is the current location of the Barn Dance that has been held here continuously now for seventy years. All four of the shows we attended were top notch with a variety of performers and types of music. It was truely enjoyable.
The bus above belongs to Ronnie Milsap who was in Renfro Valley for a concert in the New Barn.

Many of the buildings appear to have been here for decades. The Administrative building houses the offices for Renfro Valley.
This old mill takes you back to a time when things were done much differently.

Off to the east of the Mill and the Old Barn is BitterSweet Village. This village of old cabins house displays of frontier living.

Visiting the village is like taking a step back in time.

The general store, cobbler's shop, broom shop, farrier's shop, woodwright's shop, loom house and the doctor's home have informative displays.

The spring-pole lathe was operated by foot power. The bent over pole overhead pulled a cord wrapped around the lathe back up after the woodwright pressed down with his foot.

This display shows how large logs were squared into timbers using a crosscut saw. One worker pulled from above and another pulled from below.

The Loom House displays several looms that show how yarn was made into cloth.

Sunday morning was time for the Gathering. This performance turns attention toward spiritual matters. Members of the audience were invited to form a choir on stage. Several of us joined this choir as we sang some old hymns. A nondenominational service was held shortly after.

"I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me."

Psalm 13:6

Thus ended our Smokey Mountain tour and its twenty-two HitchHiker fifth wheels headed off. At least seven of those campers have come up to Lexington, KY to the Kentucky Horse Park.

Pigeon Forge, TN & Smoky Mountain National Park

2009-09-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

We arrived Sunday here at Pigeon Forge, TN. The tour of the Smokies began on Monday with registration, orientation, and dinner with a show at Shindigs. The buffet was great and we even had a country western singer that entertained while we ate. The show highlighted music of Tennessee. A featured entertainer was eighteen years old and was the best singer we've ever seen that impersonated Elvis. The show was very good.

Tuesday was a free day and we went to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park with six other couples. We took an eleven mile loop tour of Cades Cove. The tour feaures buildings of the community that was first settled around 1820. John Oliver bought the place above in 1826 and he built the log home shortly after.

The house is well preserved and shows how the settlers of the day lived. The doors were small in an effort to conserve heat in the winters. The rocks in the chimney were held together with mud mortar. Mud was also used to fill the Chinks or cracks between the logs.

One look towards the valley from the back porch makes it clear why John Oliver chose this location for his homestead. What a beautiful view!
The graveyard behind the Primitive Baptist Church has some graves that have been there for over a century. This church was established in 1827 with a log building. The building above replaced the original building in 1887. While we were there park employees were digging a grave for a person that had lived in Cades Cove as a child. The funeral would be the next day.
While sitting and enjoying the cozy solid wood interior of the church, we felt compelled to sing some hymns. We started with "Amazing Grace". There is something about the wooden construction that made he music sound so good! Some other visitors insisted that we sing several more old hymns.
Just a few miles down the road was the Methodist Church that was built in 115 days for $115.
The church was established in the 1820s but was replaced by the building above in 1902. Of course we had to sing a few hymns here also, so we started off with "I'll Fly Away".
Elijah Oliver, son of John Oliver, built a much more elaborate log home. It had several rooms and even has a "stranger room" added to the front porch to accommodate overnight visitors.
This spring house was used to keep food items such as milk and butter in the cool spring water. It was also used to "pipe" water into the house through a series of connected logs with grooves cut in their top sides. Some of these logs can be seen in the foreground in front of the structure.

This slab door on the side of one of the out buildings has wooden hinges on the right side. Pieces of wood at the top and bottom of the door are in the shape of eyes. A dowel attached to the back side of the door passes through the centers of the eyes to form a hinge.

The Gregg-Cable house was built in 1879 by Leason Gregg on land he bought from John Cable who had built the nearby mill.

John Cable built this mill in 1870. The water-powered mill was used as both a grist mill and sawmill. It is still used today to grind both corn and wheat.

This unique cantilever barn has an overhanging area that provides shelter for both livestock and farm equipment. We might as well have traveled by wagon as it took us all day to travel the whole eleven-mile loop. It was a very interesting tour which helped us understand how early settlers survived by subsistance farming.

Today we went to DollyWood. Although it rained off and on there were plenty of shows to take shelter. The shows were all top notch and we even took time to ride some roller coasters when the rain let off. We all had a good time despite the rain!

Crossville, TN

2009-09-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

We drove up from Helena, AL yesterday and are staying two nights at Spring Lake RV Resort

here in Crossville, TN. It is a very nice campground with campsites arranged around the lake. It is an adult oriented campground that is quiet and well kept. You can see our white fifth wheel with the bay window on the back across the lake in the picture above. The sites by the lake have a patio with swing, patio table with chairs and a barbeque pit. We came to Crossville to see the famous Cumberland Geneal Store. When we got here we discovered that the store closed down a few years ago. The manager at the campground told us that we could find similar old timey things at a Minnenite community called Muddy Pond that is about fifteen miles northeast of town.It was well worth the trip to visit Muddy Pond. It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the 70's and a great day for a drive in the country. As you drive down the narrow, winding country road you come upon small stores and even some houses with signs in front advertising what they have for sale. One house had about six young girls in old timey dresses and a couple of boys in the yard. Spread on the kitchen table were a variety of homemade baked goods all freshly baked.
Down the road was a variety store that had every kind of wooden handle you can imagine and old wheels for wagons and such. Inside were all kinds of canned goods and other food items as well as kitchen wares. Across the road was a sorghum mill.

Outside the mill was a bearded man who fed cane into an old fashioned press powered by two large horses.

Inside, some young ladies were bottling sorghum syrup that has just been cooked down.

Outside the mill, was a huge pile of firewood to heat the vats where the juice from the press is cooked down to form syrup.

And we mean huge!

A man can barely be seen behind the steam as he skims the vats where the syrup is cooked down.

Tomorrow we will travel to Pigeon Forge, TN to meet up with friends and begin a tour of the Smoky Mountains on Monday.

It was a great day!!

Today is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118: 24

Foley, AL and Gulf Shores

2009-09-10T19:20:00.000-07:00

We traveled on to Summerdale, AL and stayed at the Escapee's Rainbow Plantation RV Park. We are here to visit John and Barbara, some of our HitchHiker friends, who live in Foley, Al. No trip to Foley would be complete without a trip to Lambert's Cafe. We went there for an awesome lunch complete with "throwed rolls". We were stuffed and had enough leftovers for two more meals. After lunch they took us down to Gulf Shores.

The beaches there are so clean and the water is so clear. This is a great place for beach goers. You can swim in the surf, walk the beach, or search for shells and sea glass. There were a few people enjoying the beach despite it being after Labor Day.

There is a great pavillion on the beach where you can shower or have a picnic lunch.

Across the road from the beach is a wonderful state park with over 400 RV sites. Along the road some Osprey nests can be seen in some of the dead trees left from some past hurricane.

Further west some condos can be seen in the distance that are
across the border in Florida.

A Blue Heron posed for us on the railing below the bridge to FLorida.

A few fishermen under the bridge were enjoying the afternoon trying to bring in the catch of the day.

Some people prefer to take a charter boat to try their hand at deep sea fishing

Across the bridge to the east is the Sunshine State.

Fountainbleau State Park - Second Day

2009-09-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to leave today to go on to visit friends in Foley, AL just south of Mobile. We got the camper ready to go and then went out and got a better look at the park. It is truely a beautiful park. It has sustained some damage from past hurricanes, but the Live Oak trees are able to withstand just about anything Mother Nature can hand out. Many of these majestic trees have been standing for generations, like the one at left.

Along the beach on Lake Ponchartrain there are several places for beach goers to enjoy the lake.

The beach also has a beach house that has been closed since Hurricane Katrina and a very nice pier. The pier is a great place to walk and enjoy the lake. Looking back from the pavillion at the end of the pier one can see the many Live Oaks that line the shoreline.

The Visitor Center is located near the ruins of very old buildings. We didn't have time to visit the center.

FountainBleu State Park

2009-09-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

We started our four-week trip on Sunday. We will meet friends at Pigeon Forge, TN next Sunday and begin a tour of the Smoky Mountains the following Monday. We finished last minute tasks at home and finally left at nearly five o'clock. Luckily we had only a short trip to Fountainbleu State Park near Mandeville, LA. Although we were a little tired we had a good trip only driving through a little light rain. We arrived in the dark at 8:15 with light sprinkles. When we got to our site there was a camper already there. To make a long story short, we were to be in the next site over but they didn't tell us at the ranger station. We quickly set up in the dark. Although the site is a pull through loop, the turn is tight and was hard to get into so I couldn't unhook easily.

The park is beautiful in the daylight. Nearly everyone in the campground was packing up to leave after the Labor Day weekend. We relaxed in the morning and then took a trip to WalMart and Camping World. We also stopped at Target and KMart trying to find a tension rod for our new window treatments that Barb's sister, Sharon, made for us. When we returned the campground was nearly empy.

We have been on the look out for wildlife. Our friends, Larry and Gloria were here earlier this summer and had a large cat cross the road in front of them. The rangers told them that they were lucky to see it. They have only seen juveniles and large cat tracks.

The park is located along the north edge of Lake Pontchartrain. Majestic Live Oak trees are everywhere in the park with huge branches covered in Spanish Moss. The massive oak at right is a fine example. We will take some more pictures in the morning before we head out.

Wildlife at Sam Houston Jones State Park

2009-08-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

We went to see the wildlife feeding earlier than last night. Last night our four families were the only ones there. Tonight we had our son's family in addition to the others from last night. However, there were a number of other families there too. The wildlife came out in large numbers too.

The kids were excited to feed the raccoons and deer. The older gentleman who feeds the wildlife showed up shortly after we got there. The raccoons knew what he was there for and came to greet him.

Adam had several raccoons that came to take the treats he had to offer.

The deer kept their distance but a few came close enough to
eat what we had to offer.

Dylan found that several raccoons were brave enough to nearly eat out of his hand.

Many of the raccoons were content to stay at the woodline and eat the corn and feed that the older gentleman had brought. As darkness feel about all one could see was the eyes of the raccoons and deer.

One buck kept vigilant watch on the whole scene and stayed at a distance.

We counted over twenty raccoons and at least a dozen deer. It was an evening to be remembered! I am sure that the kids and grandkids will encourage us to come back again soon.

Sam Houston Jones State Park

2009-08-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

We arrived yesterday at Sam Houston Jones State Park near Moss Bluff, LA (just north of I10 & Lake Charles). My nephews and their families were taking "shake-down cruises' with their new campers and Barb and I needed a break. This is a beautiful park! We have three sites in a row. When we got here we discovered that the next site down was occupied by friends, Russell and Bertie. Can you imagine four sites in a row with families from Oberlin, LA? Most sites are very shady and wildlife is plentiful. Squirrels run around on the ground and climb the trees and deer and raccoons visit frequently without fear. The RV sites are located on connected paved loops so the kids enjoy riding their bikes, exploring nature, and playing. It is a very safe setting where you can sit in the comfort of your lawn chair and relax while watching them play. There is a nice playground at the end of one of the loops.

The park is situated along the Calcasieu River. Scenic swampy areas around the park sport cypress trees draped in Spanish Moss. Ducks, geese, and other birds can be found enjoying these areas. The filtered sunlight of sunrise and sunset make a stroll along the walkways and trails especially enjoyable.

The kids found plenty to do and enjoyed their camping trip as much as the adults. They rode their bikes and explored the edges of the woods that bordered the campsite. They found bugs and butterflies as well as the other wildlife that abounds in the park.

There are wonderful trails to take a leisurely walk, including a nature trail with numbered posts to mark plants and trees of interest. There is a nature center that has scheduled programs for visitors to enjoy.

Even the ducks enjoy a good picnic along the river!

Close to dark we went to a place in the park where an older gentleman feeds the raccoons and deer. The kids were excited to see nearly a dozen deer and half a dozen raccoons. The raccoons came close and would take offers of food out of your hands. There was not enough light to get good pictures. We will go back tomorrow evening, but will go early enough to get pictures.

Get Away Weekend - Taking a Break

2009-08-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

We left Friday for Vidalia, LA. Our local Good Sam Chapter was meeting there at River View RV Park. When we got there we already had three rigs from our chapter there. The park is right on the Mississippi River. Tug boats can be heard in the background as they labor under the load of barges that push up or down river. It was hot!! The temperature was in the mid 90s and you could cut the humidity with a knife!

After setting up, most of us went

inside to soak up some AC. Several of us went to a nice restaurant, the Sandbar, at the foot of the bridge going to Natchez, MS. Barb and I had a great Cajun steak with grilled shrimp. We later went to the park's "club house" to set up so we could play games and just visit. Attendance was low this weekend, only six rigs, with several recovering from surgery and four couples exploring the Maritime Provinces.
Along the levee to the east of the RV park is a great walking trail with a super view of the "Big Muddy". North of the park is a visitors center that gives information on the local area. We didn't have time to check it out but several said it was worth the time to stop there.

The friendly campground host and his furry companion stopped by to say hello!

The tugs were busy moving goods up and down the river. The solo tug either has the day off or is hurrying for another load of barges.

Very Busy Preparing for Future Travels

2009-08-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well we have been very busy the last couple of weeks. Our son, Jared, and his family have decided to try living in our house for a year while we try out fulltiming. We are trying to meet a Dec. 1st timeline for them to move in. We plan to travel for two or three months at a time and then come back home. We have a concrete slab, RV cover and utility pole here in the yard that will be our home base.
They will take care of the house and property while we are gone and we will help out when we are back. If we are both happy with the arrangement after a year we will continue fulltiming and they will buy our house. Meanwhile, Barb and I are sorting through nearly 37 years worth of things. It is funny how things that a few years ago we couldn't part with now have little value. We met with a contractor today to get some work done on the house that we have been trying to get done. We need to finish putting new siding on the house and have a true master bedroom and bath built. Since the rooms in our house are small, they will push out the wall on one bedroom and also the utility room to make a master suite. With this short of a timeline and the weeks lost in my recovery, we are going to need help to get things done. When we leave for the HitchHiker tour to the Smokies, International rally and tour of Lincoln’s birthplace the second week of September we will move into the fiver for good. It will be easier to work on the house without us living in it!

Tomorrow we will go camping with our Good Sam chapter to take a break from the work here. The club is going to Vidalia, LA, just across the river from Natchez, MS. I will try to post some pictures from the campout in the next couple of days.

What a Difference a Day Makes

2009-07-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

They say timing makes all the difference. The two sunset images above illustrate how true this phrase is. The pictures were taken 24 hours apart at the same location at the Colfax RV Park. The top image was taken by our friend Jack Lofton on July 3rd and I took the bottom image on July 4th. Barb and I had to go to a wedding the evening of July third, so we missed the spectacular sunset that Jack captured so well.

We had a great weekend with our club, the Cenla Roadrunners, as we celebrated Independence Day. Many others were enjoying the holiday too. There was plenty of activity on the river. A very large speed boat launched, but waited to take off at full power so we weren't able to observe its rooster tail at close range. Our group enjoyed a great Fourth of July feast of barbeque and all the trimmings followed by fireworks. Isn't it great to spend quality time with good friends!

The large speed boat idles out of range of our camera's zoom lens before putting "the pedal to the metal".

The control building for the lock and dam can be seen across the water from the boat launch.

A house boat can be seen up river as it maneuvers to the bank of the river.

Colfax RV Park at Colfax, LA

2009-07-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Colfax RV Park, a Corps of Engineers campground with the Red River Waterway, yesterday afternoon. Barb had to drive since I am still recovering from multiple broken ribs. This is the first time she has had to do everything from hook-up to back-up. Usually she just gives me a break and drives for a while when we are towing. She did a great job handling the big rig!

It is nice to have the opportunity to be with our RV friends. Three other couples were already there. This is a great new campground that will only get better with age as the trees get taller. The park has a playground, boat launch, and club house as well as restrooms and showers. It is next to one of the locks and dams on the Red River.

Boat Launch

Notice the tug boat and barge docked across the river in the background. The launch was busy today as campers and boaters got ready to enjoy the holiday weekend.

Boat Dock Near the Launch

These docks will probably be very busy as boats loaded with fishermen, boaters, and skiers come and go over the holiday weekend. It was hot today, hovering around 100 degrees. They won't find relief in the water unless they are skiing because there is no swimming around the docks, launch, and along the shore near the picnic tables.

A Great Place for Picnics

Near these cypress trees along the river, picnic tables make a great place to bring the family. The designated cooks will be heating up the nearby barbegue pits tomorrow as families and friends prepare a feast for Independence Day.

Good News!

2009-06-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Roger went to the orthopedic clinic. After taking more x-rays, the doctor determined that the line that appeared on one x-ray view was not a fracture. He said that the impact from the fall caused the tendon to try to pull away from the bone. The tendon was stretched and caused tendonitis. The line that appeared was the foot trying to heal the tendon. That was good news!

The Lord willing, we will leave Thursday morning to meet our Good Sam chapter at a nearby Corps of Engineers park for Independance Day. It is Red River RV Park which is just a little over an hour away on the Red River in Colfax, just north of Alexandria, LA. It is a very nice park with fullhookups. It is not listed in some older lists of RV parks because it is only a few years old. Although our club camps there several time a year, this will be our first time to stay there half price with our new Senior Pass for National Parks. Barb will have to do the driving this time since I am still recovering. She often helps me drive on trips.The park is next to one of the locks and dams on the river. Tug boats pushing strings of barges can often be seen nogotiating the locks. You can often arrange a tour of the lock and dam which is very interesting. I will try to post some pictures from a previous tour. There is a boat launch and a dock with places to dock your bass or leasure boat temporarily. This trip won't be like our planned trip to the Rocky Mountains but it will be good to go camping with friends.

And the Saga Still Spins Out of Control

2009-06-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

I finally was scheduled to see the orthopedic doctor this morning at 8:00 to check out the fracture in my foot. We asked for a later appointment but were told he was only seeing four patients and then would be in surgery the rest of the day. They called yesterday and said they had to back it up until 11:40 because of an emergency surgery. They called again about an hour later and said they need to back it up until 1:40. Five minutes later they called and said that my appointment was moved to Monday at 8:40, because the doctor would be in surgery all day. Now I wait until next week to determine the fate of the fracture in my foot.

A Return Trip

2009-06-23T16:38:00.001-07:00

I went out and watered some plants with the water hose this morning to help Barb. I felt some discomfort in my rib cage but bearable. I wanted to help her out since she watered for two hours yesterday evening because of the drought. This afternoon it was off to the doctor to make sure I am on the road to recovery with no speed bumps on the horizon. (We would rather be on the road with our HitchHiker, but that will come in due time.) She said my lungs sounded good and I was coming along well for four or five broken ribs. She prescribed a pain killer that is not a controlled dangerous substance to transition to as I continue my recovery. When I mentioned a pain in my right heel, she said I should have no significant pain with the pain killers I am taking. So it was off to the hospital for X-rays. I have had so many X-rays and CT scans in the last two weeks, I should glow. The X-rays show that I have a stress fracture to a bone just forward of my right heel. Now I have to go to an orthopedic doctor to be fitted for an orthopedic boot so my foot will heal properly. The doctor also said I should be doing NOTHING, since I had multiple rib fractures! Pray for Barb!
More fun and games!

A Trip Begins.....

2009-06-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

The departure was earlier than expected (Thursday afternoon not Friday morning) and began in the wrong direction! I got to ride in a new 2009 Chevy 3500 Dually. However, I never imagined that I would be in the back of the vehicle instead of the front. Now the details! I was finishing the detailing on the HitchHiker by waxing the front cap. Standing on the next to the top step of a seven foot ladder, the ladder went to the right and I went to the left. I landed hard on the side of my left rib cage. Luckily Barb was inside doing some last minute jobs. She heard the ladder hit and my cries of agony. She found me rolling in pain on the grass next to the driveway. Once I caught my breath, it was determined that an ambulance wasn't needed at this point. So it was off to the local hospital. Arrived there at 3:06 PM. After eight x-rays, a CT scan with contrast and an EKG, the doctor determined that I had at least four broken ribs and a minimally collapsed lung. The time now was after 8:00 PM and they needed to transfer me to a larger hospital for observation. If the lung collapse got worse, I needed to be in a larger hospital with a chest surgeon . Once a hospital that takes our insurance was found, it took until 10:00 PM for the new Chevy ambulance with only 1500 miles to arrive. Barb beat the ambulance there (where a bed in ER awaited) even after a detour to the sticks and bricks (house) to get things that were needed to spend the night. We arrived at the larger hospital at 11:30PM. At 4:30 AM I was finally transferred to a hospital room for "overnight " observation and got to sleep at five only to be awakened at seven for routine checks. An x-ray taken that morning when compared to the one taken when I arrived showed that my lung was not worse so I was allowed to leave at about 4:30 that afternoon. The doctor said it would take at least 4 to 6 weeks for recovery. So for now I am sleeping in my recliner and popping pain pills every four hours. TRIP CANCELLED!
This is very discouraging since we had to cancel a trip in April to New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona with RVing friends when Barb's dad died. Maybe we will try a third time in four to six weeks.

The Saga Continues

2009-06-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

Well we won't be leaving tomorrow morning. It turns out that the size of bolt they told me to get to fix the John Deere mower was over an inch too long. So it was back to the parts store to get the right size bolt. After getting the mower back together I finished mowing our acre and a half lawn. It's funny that it works so much better with that missing bolt replaced. It was hot today (in the 90's). We finished spraying weed killer and I nearly finished waxing the HitchHiker. It turned out to be a bigger job than I thought. We will surely finish getting everything ready by tommorrow afternoon and then relax. We pushed back the reservation at Estes Park, CO by one day and will cut our stay at Grand Tetons by one day.

There Always Seems to Be One Last Glitch

2009-06-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

Well it looks like we will have to delay our departure one more day. While giving the yard a final mowing, wouldn't you know the riding mower broke about halfway through. After removing the mower to determine the problem and a one hour trip to the Johm Deere dealer, it turned out to be just a missing bolt. Of course, they didn't have the bolt in stock so I had to make a couple of stops before I found the replacement. I will have to put it back together tomorrow. With a little luck we will be on our way on Thursday morning. We will have to leave early and drive longer the first couple of days to catch up to our planned schedule.

Nearly Ready to Hit the Road to West Yellowstone

2009-06-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

We are taking the last few loads to the HitchHiker and putting the last touches on it (touch-up paint, waxing, loading the bikes on the rack, etc.) Hope to leave tomorrow morning and head west. GOODBYE TO WORK AROUND THE HOUSE FOR AWHILE! We plan to be at Rocky Mountain NP near Estes Park, CO by Saturday and want to spend three days there. Then it is back on the road heading on to Grand Tetons NP for three days. From there it is only a short jump to West Yellowstone , MT where we meet ninety other HitchHikers for eight days at the Geezers and Geysers Rally. After a week of new friends and fun it is on to Glacier NP in Montana for about three days. If there is money left, from there we will cross the border into Alberta, Canada and travel to Banff NP and Lake Louise. Then we will make our way home via Kansas City for a visit with family while our children and their families visit.

RV Dreams Rally at Branson, MO

2008-06-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

We arrived on Sunday June 8 at 6:20 at America's Best Campground in Branson, MO. We came in our Winnebago Rialta to try it out. On the way up we stopped to visit Bob and Margret Andrus in Bee Branch Arkansas. We spent Saturday night there and went to church with them. Church met at the local high school since the church and parsonage were destroyed in a tornado in May.

We met two great couples right away. They made us feel like we were old friends just getting to know each other again. Bob and Molly were across from us in a motorhome. They are from Virginia and have been fulltiming since 2007.

Chuck and Kathy were beside us in their fifth wheel. They fulltime and had lived in California.

It rained all day on Monday, June 9th, so we just relaxed and stayed in the Rialta all day.

Peggy's Cove

2007-07-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

We visited Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia near Halifax on July 7, 2007. It was cloudy at first, yet the water was still a beautiful deep blue. Later the sun came out and the seascape became even more gorgious.

Bar Harbour, Maine

2007-06-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Maine on Wenesday, June 27, 2007 for the HitchHiker International Club Nova Scotia Tour. Thirty-two HitchHiker rigs would begin the tour on Friday. Already at least a dozen rigs have arrived at the campground.