Mountain View, MO.
67 deg. clear, SW wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. becoming cloudy with a 30% chance of showers. W winds @10 mph.
We left Sikeston about 8:45 yesterday morning and headed West on US 62 and then US 60. The trip here to Mountain View was pretty uneventful. US 60 is all 4 lane except for a small stretch of 2 lane where there is construction, to make it into 4 lane. This is a very hilly area and in the construction areas, we had to really slow down at times. Those were short areas though, so it really wasn't bad. As we were nearing Mountain view, Jim noted that it was pretty early yet, and wondered if we should go farther before we stopped, but the wind had picked up quite a bit, we were still on 2 lane road, so he and Linda decided to stop here at the Mountain Springs RV Park. We got here about 11:30 and traveled 145 miles.
Mountain Springs RV Park is kind of neat. I don't know what it is about some parks, but when you pull in, you get a good feeling about them. Jim originally decided to stop here because it's a Passport America park. The park is really nothing special. The roads is the park are gravel, the sites are gravel, and just scattered here and there in between the trees, and they are not very level.
We missed the first entrance to the park, so we turned into the second one, and really came into the park the wrong way. Before Jim could get out of my drivers seat, a golf cart with the Campground Host couple pulled up along side of me, and the man said, "Follow me, and you can pay us later.", so Jim put me in gear and we followed him around the office, through the trees, and into a pull-thru site. Then the man said, "Get set up first, and then later, come on over to our 5th wheel and we'll get you registered."
So, here I am sitting in a nice shady site with my front wheels dangling in the air. I have full hook-up's, with 50 Amp electric, my new neighbors are all very friendly, and I have that good feeling. All for $8 per night! Oh, I almost forgot, when Jim registered, the lady gave Jim a jar of Sorghum Molasses as a "Thank You" for picking this park to stay at.
Like I said, I don't know what gives you that "feeling" when you pull into a park. We hadn't even rolled to a stop yet, when I knew that this was a park I would like. On the other hand, we have pulled into parks where I wanted to turn around and get out of there just as fast as I could, and I really can't tell you why, or explain it. It's just a "feeling".
Did you know that a group of kangaroos is called a mob?
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Lebanon, TN to Sikeston, MO and Louise
Sikeston, MO.
66 deg. clear, S. wind @ 6 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 88 deg. partly cloudy, humid, SW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
We left Lebanon about 9:45 yesterday morning and continued West on I-40 until we came to the Briley Pkwy. where we turn North and followed it around the East side of Nashville and then West to I-24.
Folks, this is the way to go if you are coming in from the East and want to get around Nashville without all the traffic.
Once on I-24 we followed it up to Paducah where we turned West on US 60. Followed 60 into MO, picked up US 62, and followed it to I-57, took 57 down to I-55 and then 55 about 2 miles N. to the Hinton RV Park near Sikeston. It was about 2:15 when we pulled into the CG and we traveled 228 miles and it took us about 4 1/2 hours.
This is a nice park, but again, just a good place to spend a night. It's very clean, has long, level, pull-thru sites, the people in the office are very friendly, and help you get into your site. However, the sites are close together, there is no shade, and you can hear the noise from I-55. Oh, also, if your and Escapees Club member, they'll give you a 15% discount.
Yesterday evening, Jim called Roland and Louise, and learned that Louise is progressing with her rehab nicely. In fact, Roland told Jim that yesterday, for the first time, she had walked about 100' with the aid of a walker!! Now that's big news!! It was just a short time ago that it was uncertain if she would ever walk again at all!
Keep up the good work, Louise. We're proud of you!!!
Roland seemed to be doing well, and he and Louise were both in good spirits. Roland is definitely getting itchy feet, and I can only imagine what Big Herb, (their Winnebago Journey MH) is going through, in that storage lot!
Did you know that today is Narional Hug Your Cat Day?
66 deg. clear, S. wind @ 6 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 88 deg. partly cloudy, humid, SW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
We left Lebanon about 9:45 yesterday morning and continued West on I-40 until we came to the Briley Pkwy. where we turn North and followed it around the East side of Nashville and then West to I-24.
Folks, this is the way to go if you are coming in from the East and want to get around Nashville without all the traffic.
Once on I-24 we followed it up to Paducah where we turned West on US 60. Followed 60 into MO, picked up US 62, and followed it to I-57, took 57 down to I-55 and then 55 about 2 miles N. to the Hinton RV Park near Sikeston. It was about 2:15 when we pulled into the CG and we traveled 228 miles and it took us about 4 1/2 hours.
This is a nice park, but again, just a good place to spend a night. It's very clean, has long, level, pull-thru sites, the people in the office are very friendly, and help you get into your site. However, the sites are close together, there is no shade, and you can hear the noise from I-55. Oh, also, if your and Escapees Club member, they'll give you a 15% discount.
Yesterday evening, Jim called Roland and Louise, and learned that Louise is progressing with her rehab nicely. In fact, Roland told Jim that yesterday, for the first time, she had walked about 100' with the aid of a walker!! Now that's big news!! It was just a short time ago that it was uncertain if she would ever walk again at all!
Keep up the good work, Louise. We're proud of you!!!
Roland seemed to be doing well, and he and Louise were both in good spirits. Roland is definitely getting itchy feet, and I can only imagine what Big Herb, (their Winnebago Journey MH) is going through, in that storage lot!
Did you know that today is Narional Hug Your Cat Day?
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Heiskell to Lebanon and Changing Time Zones
Lebanon, TN
59 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. clear, SE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
What time is it??? I think I lost and hour yesterday, or did I gain one? Lets see, when we left Heiskell yesterday morning it was about 9:30 and when we got here to Lebanon, it was about noon. Wow! 160 miles in 2 1/2 hours, and we even stopped and got me a drink of good old #2 diesel!! I must have been flying down that Intestate! Oh! Now Ive got it figured out, we crossed into the Central Time Zone and so the trip actually took 3 1/2 hours instead of 2 1/2. Phew!! This time zone thing is almost as confusing as switching from standard to daylight savings time!
I wonder if Jim got all the clocks turned back? Or, did he need to turn them forward?
The trip here to the Timberline CG in Lebanon was uneventful. We got back on I-75, took it down to I-640, took 640 West to I-40 and then took 40 here to Lebanon. We had some light rain along the way, but nothing to slow me down. The traffic was a little heavy in the Knoxville area, but once we got away from the city, it really thinned out.
We've been to the Timberline CG before. It's OK for an overnight stay, but not the kind of park I would like to spend a lot of time in. There are quite a few permanent RVs here. Quite a few are very old and looking pretty shabby, and the sites are fairly close together. So why do we continue to come back here, you ask? It's a Passport America Park, and we're staying here for $13.50! Also, the people in the office are super nice, and always try to accommodate us the best they can.
This morning, we'll have to deal with the Nashville traffic. I'm hoping that by the time we get going, (about 9:30 or 10:00), it will be pretty much thinned out, and we can zip right through.
Did you know that there are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet?
I wonder how Louise is doing? Haven't heard anything lately.
59 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. clear, SE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
What time is it??? I think I lost and hour yesterday, or did I gain one? Lets see, when we left Heiskell yesterday morning it was about 9:30 and when we got here to Lebanon, it was about noon. Wow! 160 miles in 2 1/2 hours, and we even stopped and got me a drink of good old #2 diesel!! I must have been flying down that Intestate! Oh! Now Ive got it figured out, we crossed into the Central Time Zone and so the trip actually took 3 1/2 hours instead of 2 1/2. Phew!! This time zone thing is almost as confusing as switching from standard to daylight savings time!
I wonder if Jim got all the clocks turned back? Or, did he need to turn them forward?
The trip here to the Timberline CG in Lebanon was uneventful. We got back on I-75, took it down to I-640, took 640 West to I-40 and then took 40 here to Lebanon. We had some light rain along the way, but nothing to slow me down. The traffic was a little heavy in the Knoxville area, but once we got away from the city, it really thinned out.
We've been to the Timberline CG before. It's OK for an overnight stay, but not the kind of park I would like to spend a lot of time in. There are quite a few permanent RVs here. Quite a few are very old and looking pretty shabby, and the sites are fairly close together. So why do we continue to come back here, you ask? It's a Passport America Park, and we're staying here for $13.50! Also, the people in the office are super nice, and always try to accommodate us the best they can.
This morning, we'll have to deal with the Nashville traffic. I'm hoping that by the time we get going, (about 9:30 or 10:00), it will be pretty much thinned out, and we can zip right through.
Did you know that there are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet?
I wonder how Louise is doing? Haven't heard anything lately.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Weather and Posting
Heiskell, TN
67 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg, cloudy, 30% chance of showers, N winds @ 10 mph.
Sometimes I wonder why anyone watches the weather on TV or tries to figure out what the weather is going to do. We stayed here yesterday because everyone was forecasting heavy rain and t-storms, and the radar over by Nashville was lit up like a Christmas tree. Guess what? Yep, not a drop of rain here or in Nashville all day!! Nothing at all until late last night!
Oh well, Linda did get some much-needed laundry done.
As for today, I don't have a clue as to what we're doing! The forecast and the radar doesn't look too good, but we sure don't want to just sit here for another day, if we don't have to.
Ever since I've started this blog, I have managed to post an entry every day. I will continue to post as often as I can, but when we are traveling, there may be times when I can't post because of a bad cell signal, or lack of time. Also, I'm thinking that when we are traveling, there may be times when it would be easier for me to post an entry in the evening instead of the morning. I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't worry if some morning there is not a new post on this blog. I'll post an entry and get you caught up just as soon as I can.
Did you know that the silhouette on the Major League Baseball logo is Harmon Killebrew?
67 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg, cloudy, 30% chance of showers, N winds @ 10 mph.
Sometimes I wonder why anyone watches the weather on TV or tries to figure out what the weather is going to do. We stayed here yesterday because everyone was forecasting heavy rain and t-storms, and the radar over by Nashville was lit up like a Christmas tree. Guess what? Yep, not a drop of rain here or in Nashville all day!! Nothing at all until late last night!
Oh well, Linda did get some much-needed laundry done.
As for today, I don't have a clue as to what we're doing! The forecast and the radar doesn't look too good, but we sure don't want to just sit here for another day, if we don't have to.
Ever since I've started this blog, I have managed to post an entry every day. I will continue to post as often as I can, but when we are traveling, there may be times when I can't post because of a bad cell signal, or lack of time. Also, I'm thinking that when we are traveling, there may be times when it would be easier for me to post an entry in the evening instead of the morning. I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't worry if some morning there is not a new post on this blog. I'll post an entry and get you caught up just as soon as I can.
Did you know that the silhouette on the Major League Baseball logo is Harmon Killebrew?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Plan B and Plan C
Heiskell, TN.
63 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg, cloudy, 60% chance of t-storms, SW winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
It's real easy to get caught up in a plan. Jim has been planning our trip from Virginia Beach to Branson for quite some time now. He starts out with a basic plan and then refines it from there. On this particular trip, he started out with a basic route, and then because we had quite a bit of time, he started looking for interesting things along the way. He found a few things, and then changed the route to take us to those areas. The plan was pretty much set, but then Jim started to study the road and areas that we would be traveling through.
Hmmm,, do we really want to go on that road? Are the things that we would be seeing really that interesting? Is it worth it to drive an extra 200 miles to see them?
Thus, plan B.
OK, got plan B figured out. Found some Camp Grounds along the new route that sound like possible places to stop. We're ready to go. We'll leave here today.
Oh Oh! What's all of that green and red stuff showing up on the radar on TV? This doesn't look like something that we want to be driving into. Should we stay here at Heiskell for another day? If we stay here another day, we won't get to Branson by Friday! How would we make up the time?
STOP!!!! We don't have to be in Branson by Friday!! In fact we don't have to be there for another week and 1/2! It doesn't matter if we leave Heiskell today or not! There is no need to be out on the road in bad weather!
Thus, plan C!
So, tomorrow, if the weather is decent, we will leave here and continue on our way to Branson. If the weather is still looking nasty, we'll stay yet another day. Like I said earlier, it's real easy to get caught up in plans. Even if you have plenty of time, it starts feeling like you have to stick to that route or schedule. Being Full-timers, we're really not tied to any schedule, but for some reason, those plans we make start looking like they are carved in stone and can't be changed. In reality, all of our plans are done in pencil, and Jim has that big eraser.
Did you know that Jamie Farr, (who played Klinger on M*A*S*H) was the only member of the cast who actually served as a soldier in the Korean war?
We haven't forgotten about you, Louise.
63 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg, cloudy, 60% chance of t-storms, SW winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
It's real easy to get caught up in a plan. Jim has been planning our trip from Virginia Beach to Branson for quite some time now. He starts out with a basic plan and then refines it from there. On this particular trip, he started out with a basic route, and then because we had quite a bit of time, he started looking for interesting things along the way. He found a few things, and then changed the route to take us to those areas. The plan was pretty much set, but then Jim started to study the road and areas that we would be traveling through.
Hmmm,, do we really want to go on that road? Are the things that we would be seeing really that interesting? Is it worth it to drive an extra 200 miles to see them?
Thus, plan B.
OK, got plan B figured out. Found some Camp Grounds along the new route that sound like possible places to stop. We're ready to go. We'll leave here today.
Oh Oh! What's all of that green and red stuff showing up on the radar on TV? This doesn't look like something that we want to be driving into. Should we stay here at Heiskell for another day? If we stay here another day, we won't get to Branson by Friday! How would we make up the time?
STOP!!!! We don't have to be in Branson by Friday!! In fact we don't have to be there for another week and 1/2! It doesn't matter if we leave Heiskell today or not! There is no need to be out on the road in bad weather!
Thus, plan C!
So, tomorrow, if the weather is decent, we will leave here and continue on our way to Branson. If the weather is still looking nasty, we'll stay yet another day. Like I said earlier, it's real easy to get caught up in plans. Even if you have plenty of time, it starts feeling like you have to stick to that route or schedule. Being Full-timers, we're really not tied to any schedule, but for some reason, those plans we make start looking like they are carved in stone and can't be changed. In reality, all of our plans are done in pencil, and Jim has that big eraser.
Did you know that Jamie Farr, (who played Klinger on M*A*S*H) was the only member of the cast who actually served as a soldier in the Korean war?
We haven't forgotten about you, Louise.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day
Heiskell, TN
56 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp 83 deg. mostly sunny, 20% chance of showers late. SW winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Please take a moment to remember all of those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.
56 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp 83 deg. mostly sunny, 20% chance of showers late. SW winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Please take a moment to remember all of those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Affects of Fuel Prices and Holidays
Heiskell, TN
48 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today= high temp. 83 deg. clear, very light SW winds.
The SKP park here at Heiskell never did fill up. We could have come here at any time this weekend and gotten a very nice site. Every other time we have been here in the past, the park was either full or almost full by noon. I really do think that fuel prices are starting to affect RV travel quite a bit. On the Internet, I follow news about RV travel almost every day. One site that I go on, says that RV travel isn't being affected much at all. Yet another site is all gloom and doom about the future of RVing. One thing I do know for sure, I'm starting to see a lot of RVs setting in driveways with For Sale signs in the windows.
Are Jim and Linda thinking about selling me? Not that I'm aware of. You see, I'm more than just an RV to them, I'm their home, and as their home, they seem to like me quite a bit. If it comes to the point where they can't afford a lot of fuel for me, we'll just have to stay longer at parks and not travel as much. Or, we may be forced to take the most "direct" route instead of the "scenic route". Full-timing is a great life-style and I'm sure they don't want to give it up anytime soon!
I think an Escapees park is a great place to be for a Holiday. Most of the folks here are full-timers and (to be honest), they are older people. I think that one of the worst places to be on a 3 day weekend like this, is in a State Park. The last time I was in a State Park on a Holiday, there were kids and dogs running through my site, the parents were sitting around a very smokey campfire, (which was blowing into my windows), and I think they were trying to see how much beer they could consume!
Maybe it's just because I'm getting old, but I don't need that noise and aggravation. Probably any private park would not be too bad on a holiday weekend.
Yesterday evening, Jim and Linda took CLT and went to a restaurant called Aubrey's for dinner. It's only about 5 or 6 miles from here, (right behind the CVS that they went to the day before), and from what I can tell, they were very satisfied with the food and the service. Jim said that it was maybe a little more expensive than normal, but the food and service were so good, he didn't mind the cost.
Did you know that today is National Tap Dance Day?
Remember, stay safe on this Holiday weekend.
Have you got that American Flag flying yet?
48 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today= high temp. 83 deg. clear, very light SW winds.
The SKP park here at Heiskell never did fill up. We could have come here at any time this weekend and gotten a very nice site. Every other time we have been here in the past, the park was either full or almost full by noon. I really do think that fuel prices are starting to affect RV travel quite a bit. On the Internet, I follow news about RV travel almost every day. One site that I go on, says that RV travel isn't being affected much at all. Yet another site is all gloom and doom about the future of RVing. One thing I do know for sure, I'm starting to see a lot of RVs setting in driveways with For Sale signs in the windows.
Are Jim and Linda thinking about selling me? Not that I'm aware of. You see, I'm more than just an RV to them, I'm their home, and as their home, they seem to like me quite a bit. If it comes to the point where they can't afford a lot of fuel for me, we'll just have to stay longer at parks and not travel as much. Or, we may be forced to take the most "direct" route instead of the "scenic route". Full-timing is a great life-style and I'm sure they don't want to give it up anytime soon!
I think an Escapees park is a great place to be for a Holiday. Most of the folks here are full-timers and (to be honest), they are older people. I think that one of the worst places to be on a 3 day weekend like this, is in a State Park. The last time I was in a State Park on a Holiday, there were kids and dogs running through my site, the parents were sitting around a very smokey campfire, (which was blowing into my windows), and I think they were trying to see how much beer they could consume!
Maybe it's just because I'm getting old, but I don't need that noise and aggravation. Probably any private park would not be too bad on a holiday weekend.
Yesterday evening, Jim and Linda took CLT and went to a restaurant called Aubrey's for dinner. It's only about 5 or 6 miles from here, (right behind the CVS that they went to the day before), and from what I can tell, they were very satisfied with the food and the service. Jim said that it was maybe a little more expensive than normal, but the food and service were so good, he didn't mind the cost.
Did you know that today is National Tap Dance Day?
Remember, stay safe on this Holiday weekend.
Have you got that American Flag flying yet?
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Photos, Mable, Belts and Memorial Day
Heiskell, TN
63 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. becoming mostly sunny, N. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Jim took a couple of photos of the park yesterday, so I thought I'd post a couple of them. With this 1st one, you can see that this used to be a KOA campground by the style of the office.
This second shot is of my site. As you can see, the sites are not huge, but not cramped either. Some of the sites are shady, (like mine), and some are not, which makes it nice if you have satellite TV.
Well, it happened! I knew it would! What happened, you ask? Well, if you have been following this blog for awhile, you know that Jim and Linda have this GPS thing that has a little woman in it, that I have named Mable. Anyway, right from the time that they got Mable, I wasn't so sure about following her instructions to get to a destination. Well, yesterday, she really goofed up.
Jim and Linda needed to go to the Post Office to pick up their mail, and then go to a Drug Store to pick up a few things. Well, Jim and Linda knew where the post office was, but weren't sure where a Drug Store was. Jim did a search for Drug Stores in the area using Mable's search feature, and she gave them the directions to get to a CVS Pharmacy about 6 miles away. Well, they followed her instructions, and when they got to the "destination", they were in a church parking lot!! CLT (Cute Little Truck), said that they went on down the road for about a mile, didn't find anything, turned around and went back the other way about 3 miles, and finally found a CVS Pharmacy there.
Now, leading CLT astray, is one thing, but can you imagine if that had been me? I can't always find a place to turn around and go the other way!! What happens if Mable goofs up directing me to a destination? I think for the most part, I'll just stick with my good old Truckers Atlas!
Also, yesterday, Jim replaced the hydraulic pump belt on my engine. I've had problems with this belt in the past, and now the belt was starting to crack and come apart again. Jim had a new one, so he installed it, but he said that he's going to have to try to find someone to ask about it, because the belt should last over 10,000 miles.
I hope all of you have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. Please remember the true meaning of this holiday. A lot of soldiers have died to keep us free.
Hey! Why not get out that American Flag that you've got stored somewhere, and fly it this weekend?
Did you know that Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day?
63 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. becoming mostly sunny, N. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Jim took a couple of photos of the park yesterday, so I thought I'd post a couple of them. With this 1st one, you can see that this used to be a KOA campground by the style of the office.
This second shot is of my site. As you can see, the sites are not huge, but not cramped either. Some of the sites are shady, (like mine), and some are not, which makes it nice if you have satellite TV.
Well, it happened! I knew it would! What happened, you ask? Well, if you have been following this blog for awhile, you know that Jim and Linda have this GPS thing that has a little woman in it, that I have named Mable. Anyway, right from the time that they got Mable, I wasn't so sure about following her instructions to get to a destination. Well, yesterday, she really goofed up.Jim and Linda needed to go to the Post Office to pick up their mail, and then go to a Drug Store to pick up a few things. Well, Jim and Linda knew where the post office was, but weren't sure where a Drug Store was. Jim did a search for Drug Stores in the area using Mable's search feature, and she gave them the directions to get to a CVS Pharmacy about 6 miles away. Well, they followed her instructions, and when they got to the "destination", they were in a church parking lot!! CLT (Cute Little Truck), said that they went on down the road for about a mile, didn't find anything, turned around and went back the other way about 3 miles, and finally found a CVS Pharmacy there.
Now, leading CLT astray, is one thing, but can you imagine if that had been me? I can't always find a place to turn around and go the other way!! What happens if Mable goofs up directing me to a destination? I think for the most part, I'll just stick with my good old Truckers Atlas!
Also, yesterday, Jim replaced the hydraulic pump belt on my engine. I've had problems with this belt in the past, and now the belt was starting to crack and come apart again. Jim had a new one, so he installed it, but he said that he's going to have to try to find someone to ask about it, because the belt should last over 10,000 miles.
I hope all of you have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. Please remember the true meaning of this holiday. A lot of soldiers have died to keep us free.
Hey! Why not get out that American Flag that you've got stored somewhere, and fly it this weekend?
Did you know that Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day?
Friday, May 23, 2008
Radford to Heiskell and On The Soap Box Again
Heiskell, TN
54 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 84 deg. becoming partly sunny, with light winds. 30% chance of rain this afternoon.
Jim took this photo as we were driving down US 460 between Appomattox and Roanoke, VA. two days ago. It was our first good view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
This is a photo of me parked on my site at the Sportsman's Campground in Radford, VA. It's too bad that this CG is right next to I-81 and all of it's traffic noise.
This photo is of the New River, as seen from behind my site. Very scenic!
Because of the Holiday weekend, and the possibility of the CG becoming full, Jim and Linda wanted to get here to the Escapee Club RV Park in Heiskell before noon, if we could. So, we left Radford at about 7:30 AM. Now, this is really unusual! I don't think, (for as long as I have known Jim and Linda), that we have ever started out that early. Anyway, we continued SW on I-81 which took us through Bristol and then connected to I-40 which took us to Knoxville. Then, we took I-640 around to the North side of the city where we turned North on I-75. We took it about 10 miles to exit 117, where we turned West for about a mile, and to the Raccoon Valley RV Park.
We arrived here about 11:30 after traveling 227 miles.
Oh, the Park was not full when we arrived, and I doesn't look like it is going to fill up. Hmmm, gas prices keeping people home?
Now, I'm sorry, but I have to drive back up on my soap box again.
I'm wondering if some people have a death wish, or they are just plain stupid? The traffic on I-640 was terrible. They are doing some construction on I-40 in Knoxville, so they are directing through traffic around the city on 640. Anyway, there was this one SUV driver that almost caused a disaster. First of all he cut me off, and if Jim hadn't hit my brakes hard, there would have been an accident that made the National News. Then, after we got going again, this driver did the same thing to an 18 wheeler! I just can't understand what these people are thinking! Don't they understand that if a large Rig hits them, it's a good chance that they will die? Then to top it off, the news people will report on how this RV or 18 wheeler crashed into this poor little SUV driver and caused a 50 car pile-up!!
OK, enough soap box.
We have been here at this SKP park before. It's a nice little park that used to be a KOA park. It was pretty run-down when the Club bought it but they have upgraded the utilities and the office, and now it's right up there on top of Jim and Linda's favorite SKP parks. We'll be staying here until Tuesday.
Did you know that today is National taffy Day?
54 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 84 deg. becoming partly sunny, with light winds. 30% chance of rain this afternoon.
Jim took this photo as we were driving down US 460 between Appomattox and Roanoke, VA. two days ago. It was our first good view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
This is a photo of me parked on my site at the Sportsman's Campground in Radford, VA. It's too bad that this CG is right next to I-81 and all of it's traffic noise.
This photo is of the New River, as seen from behind my site. Very scenic!
Because of the Holiday weekend, and the possibility of the CG becoming full, Jim and Linda wanted to get here to the Escapee Club RV Park in Heiskell before noon, if we could. So, we left Radford at about 7:30 AM. Now, this is really unusual! I don't think, (for as long as I have known Jim and Linda), that we have ever started out that early. Anyway, we continued SW on I-81 which took us through Bristol and then connected to I-40 which took us to Knoxville. Then, we took I-640 around to the North side of the city where we turned North on I-75. We took it about 10 miles to exit 117, where we turned West for about a mile, and to the Raccoon Valley RV Park.We arrived here about 11:30 after traveling 227 miles.
Oh, the Park was not full when we arrived, and I doesn't look like it is going to fill up. Hmmm, gas prices keeping people home?
Now, I'm sorry, but I have to drive back up on my soap box again.
I'm wondering if some people have a death wish, or they are just plain stupid? The traffic on I-640 was terrible. They are doing some construction on I-40 in Knoxville, so they are directing through traffic around the city on 640. Anyway, there was this one SUV driver that almost caused a disaster. First of all he cut me off, and if Jim hadn't hit my brakes hard, there would have been an accident that made the National News. Then, after we got going again, this driver did the same thing to an 18 wheeler! I just can't understand what these people are thinking! Don't they understand that if a large Rig hits them, it's a good chance that they will die? Then to top it off, the news people will report on how this RV or 18 wheeler crashed into this poor little SUV driver and caused a 50 car pile-up!!
OK, enough soap box.
We have been here at this SKP park before. It's a nice little park that used to be a KOA park. It was pretty run-down when the Club bought it but they have upgraded the utilities and the office, and now it's right up there on top of Jim and Linda's favorite SKP parks. We'll be staying here until Tuesday.
Did you know that today is National taffy Day?
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Appomattox to Radford, VA and Louise Update
Radford, VA.
43 deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp 72 deg. partly cloudy, NW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
We left Appomattox yesterday morning about 10:25 and continued west on US 460 until we came to Roanoke, where we got onto I-81 and took it SW to Radford, VA and the Sportsman Campground. We got here about 12:30 and traveled 116 miles.
This is kind of a neat park, being that it is right on the New River. Jim had found this CG in the Passport America book, it sounded interesting, so yesterday he called and asked if they could accommodate me. The lady said that they could, and they had a site for me right along the river. Jim took some photos, but I'm having trouble getting them on the blog this morning, so I'll post them later. Anyway, this is a neat little park, but we are so close to I-81 that there is a lot of traffic noise.
Jim called Roland yesterday afternoon, and it sounds like Louise is doing pretty well. She has had a little setback, but is progressing, slowly with her recovery.
Today, we are heading for an Escapees Club RV park which is just a little North of Knoxville, TN. The plan is to stay there for the Memorial Day weekend, before continuing West towards Branson. We always try to find a place to sit out the holidays, so we are not out on the road with all of the holiday traffic.
Did you know that Armadillos can be housebroken?
43 deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp 72 deg. partly cloudy, NW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
We left Appomattox yesterday morning about 10:25 and continued west on US 460 until we came to Roanoke, where we got onto I-81 and took it SW to Radford, VA and the Sportsman Campground. We got here about 12:30 and traveled 116 miles.
This is kind of a neat park, being that it is right on the New River. Jim had found this CG in the Passport America book, it sounded interesting, so yesterday he called and asked if they could accommodate me. The lady said that they could, and they had a site for me right along the river. Jim took some photos, but I'm having trouble getting them on the blog this morning, so I'll post them later. Anyway, this is a neat little park, but we are so close to I-81 that there is a lot of traffic noise.
Jim called Roland yesterday afternoon, and it sounds like Louise is doing pretty well. She has had a little setback, but is progressing, slowly with her recovery.
Today, we are heading for an Escapees Club RV park which is just a little North of Knoxville, TN. The plan is to stay there for the Memorial Day weekend, before continuing West towards Branson. We always try to find a place to sit out the holidays, so we are not out on the road with all of the holiday traffic.
Did you know that Armadillos can be housebroken?
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
VB to Appomattox
Appomattox, VA
53 deg. mostly cloudy, little breeze.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. becoming partly cloudy this afternoon, W. winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
After saying good-bye to everyone, Jim and Linda finished putting stuff away and getting me ready to travel. It started raining about 8:30, but stopped long enough for Jim to get me down off of those boards, moved out of the driveway and onto the street, and get TLC hooked up to the back of me. As we pulled away from Joe and Nancy's house, at 9:45, it started raining again.
Good timing!
Our westward journey began by taking I-264 and I-64 around to the South of the Portsmouth area, (and over that grated lift bridge), and then picking up US 460 which brought us here to Appomattox, and the Parkview Mobile Home and RV Park. Along the way, we stopped in Suffolk and bought me a nice drink of #2 diesel, at $4.34 per gallon!
US 460 is a very nice road. It's 4 lane and divided most of the way, goes through some very scenic rural areas, and through some neat little towns. There were only a few rough sections of pavement, and they were working on a couple of them.
It was about 2:00 PM when we arrived here at the park, and we had traveled 191 miles.
The Parkview RV Park is a Passport America park so we're staying here for 1/2 price. ($ 15 for a full hook-up, 50 amp, pull-thru site, with cable TV). It's a nice clean park with long level, roomy sites, and the people in the office are very nice. There's not much to do in the park, but there are some very historic areas near here.
Did you know that a rhinoceros's horn is made of hair?
We haven't forgotten you, Louise.
53 deg. mostly cloudy, little breeze.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. becoming partly cloudy this afternoon, W. winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
After saying good-bye to everyone, Jim and Linda finished putting stuff away and getting me ready to travel. It started raining about 8:30, but stopped long enough for Jim to get me down off of those boards, moved out of the driveway and onto the street, and get TLC hooked up to the back of me. As we pulled away from Joe and Nancy's house, at 9:45, it started raining again.
Good timing!
Our westward journey began by taking I-264 and I-64 around to the South of the Portsmouth area, (and over that grated lift bridge), and then picking up US 460 which brought us here to Appomattox, and the Parkview Mobile Home and RV Park. Along the way, we stopped in Suffolk and bought me a nice drink of #2 diesel, at $4.34 per gallon!
US 460 is a very nice road. It's 4 lane and divided most of the way, goes through some very scenic rural areas, and through some neat little towns. There were only a few rough sections of pavement, and they were working on a couple of them.
It was about 2:00 PM when we arrived here at the park, and we had traveled 191 miles.
The Parkview RV Park is a Passport America park so we're staying here for 1/2 price. ($ 15 for a full hook-up, 50 amp, pull-thru site, with cable TV). It's a nice clean park with long level, roomy sites, and the people in the office are very nice. There's not much to do in the park, but there are some very historic areas near here.
Did you know that a rhinoceros's horn is made of hair?
We haven't forgotten you, Louise.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Getting Ready and Good-bye's
Virginia Beach, VA
61 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. cloudy, 60% chance of showers, winds SW @ 15 to 20 mph.
Jim and Linda finally got everyone together for this photo yesterday evening. That's Joe standing, with, (from left to right), Amber, Nancy, and Sami, sitting.
Right after lunch yesterday, Jim and Linda took CLT and went to the grocery store. They needed to get some things before we left here. Yes, there are grocery stores everywhere, but they like this Farm Fresh store, and know the store well enough that they can find the items they need without searching through the whole store.
61 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. cloudy, 60% chance of showers, winds SW @ 15 to 20 mph.
Jim and Linda finally got everyone together for this photo yesterday evening. That's Joe standing, with, (from left to right), Amber, Nancy, and Sami, sitting.
Right after lunch yesterday, Jim and Linda took CLT and went to the grocery store. They needed to get some things before we left here. Yes, there are grocery stores everywhere, but they like this Farm Fresh store, and know the store well enough that they can find the items they need without searching through the whole store. For dinner, Nancy prepared another great meal. She cooked some steaks, (with special seasonings), and mashed potatoes, and Linda cooked some asparagus. A real feast!
Jim got me pretty much ready to travel yesterday. They were originally forecasting the rain to start here sometime during the night, but so far, I haven't even felt a sprinkle. Oh well, that's just less he has to do this morning. We won't be leaving here too early. The "rush hour" traffic is pretty bad around here, so we'll probably wait until 9:30 or 10:00 to leave.
Nancy leaves for work at about 6:15 in the morning, so Jim and Linda said their good-bye's to her last night. This morning, Jim will wake Linda up early so that they can say good-bye to Amber when she leaves to catch the school bus at about 7:30, and Joe who leaves for work right after he sees Amber off. Then about 8:30 they will say good-bye to Sami who will be leaving to catch her bus.
This is the sad time that I was talking about yesterday.
Then it will be time to "shift gears", and get me and CLT ready to travel. Hopefully, the rain will hold off until Jim gets me out of the driveway and gets CLT hooked up to the back of me.
Did you know that an ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Boats and a Rally
Virginia Beach, VA
57 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. partly sunny, W. winds @ 15 to 20 mph.
Yesterday was nice. The weather was almost perfect, with temps in the lower 70s, sunshine, and low humidity. It was kind of windy, but that really didn't bother anything.
Jim and Joe tried to fix a steering problem on Joe and Nancy's boat. Joe's friend, Doug, came over and tried to help too, but they were not able to repair it, so, I guess Joe will have to take it to a boat mechanic before he can launch it for the summer boating season.
I think boats are a lot like RVs. It's better for them if they're used frequently. Setting around is not good.
57 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. partly sunny, W. winds @ 15 to 20 mph.
Yesterday was nice. The weather was almost perfect, with temps in the lower 70s, sunshine, and low humidity. It was kind of windy, but that really didn't bother anything.
Jim and Joe tried to fix a steering problem on Joe and Nancy's boat. Joe's friend, Doug, came over and tried to help too, but they were not able to repair it, so, I guess Joe will have to take it to a boat mechanic before he can launch it for the summer boating season.
I think boats are a lot like RVs. It's better for them if they're used frequently. Setting around is not good. After dinner, everyone sat around in the house and visited, and then about 9:00 Jim and Linda came back out here and watched TV until bedtime.
Tomorrow, we will be leaving Virginia Beach, and again there will be mixed feelings. It will be sad to be leaving Joe and Nancy's, but exciting to be getting out on the road again. More than likely, it will be a year before we get back to this part of the country, but there are some exciting adventures ahead of us.
For instance, from here, we will be heading towards Branson, MO to go to the RV Dreams Rally. This is going to be a get-together of about 130 people, (most of whom have never met), who have been communicating on the RV Dreams forum. http://www.rv-dreams.com/ Of course, almost everyone will have their RVs there too, so while the people are going to meetings and socializing, I will be getting to know, and making friends with a whole bunch of RVs.
Like I said, it should be exciting!
Did you know that a group of geese is called a gaggle?
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Bored
Virginia Beach, VA
59 deg. clear, SW winds @ 10 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 74 deg. mostly sunny, SW winds @ 20 mph. 50% chance of showers and t-storms this evening.
I'm getting bored! Normally, I'm parked in a Campground or RV park where other RVs come and go, but for almost 2 weeks, I haven't seen one other RV. Now don't get me wrong, I really like being here in Joe and Nancy's driveway. I get to see Joe, Nancy, and the girls every day, and I couldn't be staying anywhere else at less cost, but I do miss seeing my own kind!!!
Think about how you would feel if for 2 weeks, you never saw another human. Now, I know some of you are saying, "That wouldn't be so bad", but believe me, after about a week, most people would start missing the human contact. I realize that everyone is different, and so are RVs, but I need to at least see other RVs from time to time. One of my greatest fears, is that when I get too old to travel, I'll be parked in a vacant field or lot somewhere, and never see another RV again.
Brrrrrr!!!! My oil runs cold just thinking about it!
Speaking of contact, today, Jim and Linda should be able to spend quite a bit of the day with Joe and his family. Being that we will be leaving Tuesday, this will be the last non-work day to get together.
Did you know that the Pentagon, in Arlington, VA has twice as many bathrooms as necessary? When it was built in the 1940s, the state of Virginia still had segregation laws requiring separate facilities for blacks and whites.
59 deg. clear, SW winds @ 10 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 74 deg. mostly sunny, SW winds @ 20 mph. 50% chance of showers and t-storms this evening.
I'm getting bored! Normally, I'm parked in a Campground or RV park where other RVs come and go, but for almost 2 weeks, I haven't seen one other RV. Now don't get me wrong, I really like being here in Joe and Nancy's driveway. I get to see Joe, Nancy, and the girls every day, and I couldn't be staying anywhere else at less cost, but I do miss seeing my own kind!!!
Think about how you would feel if for 2 weeks, you never saw another human. Now, I know some of you are saying, "That wouldn't be so bad", but believe me, after about a week, most people would start missing the human contact. I realize that everyone is different, and so are RVs, but I need to at least see other RVs from time to time. One of my greatest fears, is that when I get too old to travel, I'll be parked in a vacant field or lot somewhere, and never see another RV again.
Brrrrrr!!!! My oil runs cold just thinking about it!
Speaking of contact, today, Jim and Linda should be able to spend quite a bit of the day with Joe and his family. Being that we will be leaving Tuesday, this will be the last non-work day to get together.
Did you know that the Pentagon, in Arlington, VA has twice as many bathrooms as necessary? When it was built in the 1940s, the state of Virginia still had segregation laws requiring separate facilities for blacks and whites.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Excitement in Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, VA
55 deg. clear, NW winds @ 15 mph
Forecast today = high temp. 78 deg. clear, W winds @ 15 mph.
POW!!! ZAPPPP!!! ZZZIIIIITTT!!!! HUUMMMMM!!! ZAPPPPP!!!! POW!!!!
TOTAL DARKNESS!!!!!! Every place except except the light coming from me!!! :-)
I don't know exactly what happened, but it got real exciting for awhile last night. Jim and Linda were watching the 11:00 PM news and all of a sudden, somewhere close by, an electrical transformer blew up, a branch fell on some wires, or some wires just broke.
The wind had come up. In fact, just a little earlier, Jim had gone out and rolled up my window awnings because they were beginning to blow around a lot. I think the wind probably had something to do with our neighborhood black-out.
As for me, I just switched over to battery power, which powered my 2500 watt inverter, which made it possible for Jim and Linda to finish watching the news on TV and get ready for bed, just like they normally would. I don't know just when the power came back on, but it was on by 4:30 AM when Jim got up and checked. This morning, everything is back to normal, but I'll bet some people who were sleeping when the power went off, will be late for appointments or work because their alarms didn't go off. Luckily, today is Saturday, and most people don't have to be at work this morning.
Except for the excitement last night, yesterday was pretty dull. Joe and Nancy had someplace they needed to go to last night, and the girls were at friend's houses, so Jim and Linda just watched TV and did some stuff on the computers. For dinner, they took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and went to the local Wendy's.
I don't know what is happening today. Hopefully Joe, Nancy, and the girls will be around so Jim and Linda can spend some time with them. Tuesday, we'll be leaving here and the time has really flown by. It never seems like our visits with Jim and Linda's kids and grandkids are long enough.
My tires are starting to get itchy though.
Did you know that Sarsaparilla is the root that flavors root beer?
We haven't forgotten you, Louise.
55 deg. clear, NW winds @ 15 mph
Forecast today = high temp. 78 deg. clear, W winds @ 15 mph.
POW!!! ZAPPPP!!! ZZZIIIIITTT!!!! HUUMMMMM!!! ZAPPPPP!!!! POW!!!!
TOTAL DARKNESS!!!!!! Every place except except the light coming from me!!! :-)
I don't know exactly what happened, but it got real exciting for awhile last night. Jim and Linda were watching the 11:00 PM news and all of a sudden, somewhere close by, an electrical transformer blew up, a branch fell on some wires, or some wires just broke.
The wind had come up. In fact, just a little earlier, Jim had gone out and rolled up my window awnings because they were beginning to blow around a lot. I think the wind probably had something to do with our neighborhood black-out.
As for me, I just switched over to battery power, which powered my 2500 watt inverter, which made it possible for Jim and Linda to finish watching the news on TV and get ready for bed, just like they normally would. I don't know just when the power came back on, but it was on by 4:30 AM when Jim got up and checked. This morning, everything is back to normal, but I'll bet some people who were sleeping when the power went off, will be late for appointments or work because their alarms didn't go off. Luckily, today is Saturday, and most people don't have to be at work this morning.
Except for the excitement last night, yesterday was pretty dull. Joe and Nancy had someplace they needed to go to last night, and the girls were at friend's houses, so Jim and Linda just watched TV and did some stuff on the computers. For dinner, they took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and went to the local Wendy's.
I don't know what is happening today. Hopefully Joe, Nancy, and the girls will be around so Jim and Linda can spend some time with them. Tuesday, we'll be leaving here and the time has really flown by. It never seems like our visits with Jim and Linda's kids and grandkids are long enough.
My tires are starting to get itchy though.
Did you know that Sarsaparilla is the root that flavors root beer?
We haven't forgotten you, Louise.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Apology and a Parts Source
Virginia Beach, VA
64 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 74 deg. mostly cloudy, 70% chance of rain, SW winds @ 10 mph.
I need to apologize. I misspelled Gephyrophobia in yesterday's post. I got it right, down in the text, but messed it up when I typed it for the title. I think I've got it right now. Maybe I shouldn't try to use those big words.
Wait a minute!! Do you remember the post that I did awhile back about never admitting that you were at fault? In it, I said that you always needed to find someone or something else to blame. Well, It's not my fault that Gephyrophobia was misspelled in yesterday's blog! The word was printed too small on the web page that I found it on, the keys on the computer are too close together, the light that I was using to read by was not bright enough, and the company who built me didn't make me smart enough to catch the error before I embarrassed myself on the Internet!!
I think I'll sue! I should be able to get at least 2 million dollars!
Wow! Let's see, new tires, a new paint job, new appliances,---------
OK, OK!!! I'll quit dreaming!!
Speaking of appliances, the new latch for my refrigerator door came by UPS the other day. Jim got it installed right away, and now the door should stay shut while we're driving down the highway.
If any of you are needing repair parts, you might want to contact PPL Motorhomes. These folks carry a lot of repair parts, (even for older RVs like me), and the service was excellent. The parts man that Jim talked to was very friendly and knowledgeable, and he got the part to us in 2 days.
PPL Motorhomes is located in Houston Texas, their phone # is 1-800-755-4775, and their web site is http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/
Did you know that Pepsi originally contained pepsin, thus the name.
64 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 74 deg. mostly cloudy, 70% chance of rain, SW winds @ 10 mph.
I need to apologize. I misspelled Gephyrophobia in yesterday's post. I got it right, down in the text, but messed it up when I typed it for the title. I think I've got it right now. Maybe I shouldn't try to use those big words.
Wait a minute!! Do you remember the post that I did awhile back about never admitting that you were at fault? In it, I said that you always needed to find someone or something else to blame. Well, It's not my fault that Gephyrophobia was misspelled in yesterday's blog! The word was printed too small on the web page that I found it on, the keys on the computer are too close together, the light that I was using to read by was not bright enough, and the company who built me didn't make me smart enough to catch the error before I embarrassed myself on the Internet!!
I think I'll sue! I should be able to get at least 2 million dollars!
Wow! Let's see, new tires, a new paint job, new appliances,---------
OK, OK!!! I'll quit dreaming!!
Speaking of appliances, the new latch for my refrigerator door came by UPS the other day. Jim got it installed right away, and now the door should stay shut while we're driving down the highway.
If any of you are needing repair parts, you might want to contact PPL Motorhomes. These folks carry a lot of repair parts, (even for older RVs like me), and the service was excellent. The parts man that Jim talked to was very friendly and knowledgeable, and he got the part to us in 2 days.
PPL Motorhomes is located in Houston Texas, their phone # is 1-800-755-4775, and their web site is http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/
Did you know that Pepsi originally contained pepsin, thus the name.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Gephyrophobia
Virginia Beach, VA
61 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. becoming mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain. SW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
I have Gephyrophobia! Actually, just a form of it, and it doesn't bother me most of the time. What is it, you ask? It's the fear of bridges, but in my case, only those grated, lift bridges that you can see through as you drive over them. I have gone over very high or long bridges and there has been no problem, but take me over a low, short, lift bridge, where you can see down through the grated driving surface and see the water or whatever below you, and my oil pressure goes up about 10 lbs.
I know as I am going over one of those bridges, that I should just look forward and not down, but I can't help it. Every time, I end up looking down between my front tires and see that, (in most cases), water down there, usually, way down there! Then I start wondering how that grating can support my weight, or what would happen to me if they started to lift up the bridge while I was on it. We have to cross one of those bridges every time we come here to Virgina Beach. I get across it, but I don't like it.
Not much happening around here. Nancy ordered a Pizza for dinner last night, and Joe stopped someplace and picked up some "wings" on his way home from Amber's soccer practice. After eating, everyone was tired, so Jim and Linda came out here and watched a little TV before going to bed themselves.
Did you know that the state of Maryland has no natural lakes?
61 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. becoming mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain. SW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
I have Gephyrophobia! Actually, just a form of it, and it doesn't bother me most of the time. What is it, you ask? It's the fear of bridges, but in my case, only those grated, lift bridges that you can see through as you drive over them. I have gone over very high or long bridges and there has been no problem, but take me over a low, short, lift bridge, where you can see down through the grated driving surface and see the water or whatever below you, and my oil pressure goes up about 10 lbs.
I know as I am going over one of those bridges, that I should just look forward and not down, but I can't help it. Every time, I end up looking down between my front tires and see that, (in most cases), water down there, usually, way down there! Then I start wondering how that grating can support my weight, or what would happen to me if they started to lift up the bridge while I was on it. We have to cross one of those bridges every time we come here to Virgina Beach. I get across it, but I don't like it.
Not much happening around here. Nancy ordered a Pizza for dinner last night, and Joe stopped someplace and picked up some "wings" on his way home from Amber's soccer practice. After eating, everyone was tired, so Jim and Linda came out here and watched a little TV before going to bed themselves.
Did you know that the state of Maryland has no natural lakes?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Update on Louise's Recovery and Other Stuff
Virginia Beach, VA
45 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 78 deg. clear, W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Right after I posted yesterday's blog, Jim checked his e-mail and he got some great news from Atalanta. As you have probably gathered, Louise has been having a rough time recovering from all of the injuries that she sustained in that head-on automobile accident way back in March. It has been two steps forward, one step back, and sometimes two steps forward, 10 steps back.
Yesterday's news was 3 giant steps forward, no steps back!! The three steps were only 3" each, but they were giant steps for her. For the first time since the accident, she has been able to put weight on both legs, and has taken those three giant steps towards recovery. She has been moved to a long-term rehab center, and they are very pleased with her progress, in the short time that she has been there. Louise will probably never have full use of her left leg, and will more than likely have to use a wheel chair quite a bit, but the doctors are convinced that she will walk again!!!
Prayers from many, many people are a powerful thing.
Jim and Linda went to Forbes Candies www.forbescandies.com yesterday afternoon. They make some very good sugar-free candy, so Linda stocked up because it is very hard to find as we travel to different parts of the country. They go there every time we're here at Joe's and have gotten to know the lady behind the counter. She always asks where they have been since they were there last, and wants to know where they're headed from here. A very nice lady.
Then, because Joe and Nancy were busy with "family things", Jim and Linda went out to eat at the Atlas Grill and Bar, which is not what it sounds like. It is actually a great family restaurant which is in a separate room from the bar. Many of the local people go there and the food is really good. In fact, that is yet another place that Jim and Linda always to go to, whenever we're in the area.
Did you know that the symbol on the "pound" key (#) is called an octothorpe?
Great work, Louise!
45 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 78 deg. clear, W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.
Right after I posted yesterday's blog, Jim checked his e-mail and he got some great news from Atalanta. As you have probably gathered, Louise has been having a rough time recovering from all of the injuries that she sustained in that head-on automobile accident way back in March. It has been two steps forward, one step back, and sometimes two steps forward, 10 steps back.
Yesterday's news was 3 giant steps forward, no steps back!! The three steps were only 3" each, but they were giant steps for her. For the first time since the accident, she has been able to put weight on both legs, and has taken those three giant steps towards recovery. She has been moved to a long-term rehab center, and they are very pleased with her progress, in the short time that she has been there. Louise will probably never have full use of her left leg, and will more than likely have to use a wheel chair quite a bit, but the doctors are convinced that she will walk again!!!
Prayers from many, many people are a powerful thing.
Jim and Linda went to Forbes Candies www.forbescandies.com yesterday afternoon. They make some very good sugar-free candy, so Linda stocked up because it is very hard to find as we travel to different parts of the country. They go there every time we're here at Joe's and have gotten to know the lady behind the counter. She always asks where they have been since they were there last, and wants to know where they're headed from here. A very nice lady.
Then, because Joe and Nancy were busy with "family things", Jim and Linda went out to eat at the Atlas Grill and Bar, which is not what it sounds like. It is actually a great family restaurant which is in a separate room from the bar. Many of the local people go there and the food is really good. In fact, that is yet another place that Jim and Linda always to go to, whenever we're in the area.
Did you know that the symbol on the "pound" key (#) is called an octothorpe?
Great work, Louise!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Wind and Refrigerator Latches
Virginia Beach, VA
48 deg. mostly clear, N winds @ 20 to 25 mph.
Forecast today = high temp 65 deg. mostly sunny, N winds @ 25 to 30 mph.
Man, it was windy yesterday!!! How windy was it, you ask? It was so windy that there were 2 foot waves in the dog's water bowl!! It was so windy that you had to be standing down-wind of someone to hear them talking, because the wind blew their words away!! ;-)
Really, it was very windy around here yesterday. There were times when we had 40 to 45 mph gusts, and they shook me around some. Oh, and did I mention that it was raining a good part of the time too? That rain was going sideways!
As I expected, Jim and Linda didn't do much of anything yesterday. Linda took care of some business, by phone, and I think Jim found a new door latch for my refrigerator. Oh, I didn't tell you it was broken? Well, the other day when Linda went to open my fridge door, the latch broke. Since then, Jim has been looking for a new one on the Internet, without much luck. You see, my refrigerator is still the original one, so that makes it about 16 years old, and the parts are starting to get scarce. Well, anyway, he finally found one at a place down near Huston Texas, and yesterday, he ordered it. It should be here in a few days. I sure hope it fits.
The only time Jim and Linda went outside yesterday, was to go in the house for awhile last night. Nancy fixed another very nice meal, and then they visited and watched some TV before coming back out here.
Did you know that February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon?
48 deg. mostly clear, N winds @ 20 to 25 mph.
Forecast today = high temp 65 deg. mostly sunny, N winds @ 25 to 30 mph.
Man, it was windy yesterday!!! How windy was it, you ask? It was so windy that there were 2 foot waves in the dog's water bowl!! It was so windy that you had to be standing down-wind of someone to hear them talking, because the wind blew their words away!! ;-)
Really, it was very windy around here yesterday. There were times when we had 40 to 45 mph gusts, and they shook me around some. Oh, and did I mention that it was raining a good part of the time too? That rain was going sideways!
As I expected, Jim and Linda didn't do much of anything yesterday. Linda took care of some business, by phone, and I think Jim found a new door latch for my refrigerator. Oh, I didn't tell you it was broken? Well, the other day when Linda went to open my fridge door, the latch broke. Since then, Jim has been looking for a new one on the Internet, without much luck. You see, my refrigerator is still the original one, so that makes it about 16 years old, and the parts are starting to get scarce. Well, anyway, he finally found one at a place down near Huston Texas, and yesterday, he ordered it. It should be here in a few days. I sure hope it fits.
The only time Jim and Linda went outside yesterday, was to go in the house for awhile last night. Nancy fixed another very nice meal, and then they visited and watched some TV before coming back out here.
Did you know that February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon?
Monday, May 12, 2008
More Storms and Tornadoes and Linda's Day
Virginia Beach, VA
53 deg. mostly cloudy, NW wind @ 15 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 59 deg. cloudy with a 50% chance of rain. N winds @ 30 to 35 mph.
What is going on with this weather???? We had tornadoes in this area again yesterday, and just South of here, down in North Carolina, there was a lot of damage!!! The guy on the TV was saying that there have been 56 confirmed tornadoes, East of the Mississippi, in the last 3 days!!
We're fine here in Virginia Beach, but we had some very heavy rain and strong winds go through here yesterday evening about 7:00. It got pretty exciting for a little while.
I think Linda had a nice Mother's Day yesterday. It started out with Joe calling on the phone to invite Linda and Jim to come into the house and have some breakfast. Then in the afternoon, Joe built a fire in his Franklin type stove, that he has out on his partially enclosed patio, and everyone sat around the fire and visited for awhile. For dinner, Nancy put together a nice meal, and afterwords everyone sat and visited while watching TV. While they were visiting, Laura called from Florida to say Happy Mother's Day. They didn't talk much because the phone connection was very poor, but Linda was really happy that she called.
I doubt if Jim and Linda will be doing too much today. If you read the forecast for today, you already know that they are forecasting rain and 30 to 35 mph winds for this afternoon. Jim really doesn't like being out on windy days, so he'll probably want to just stay inside all day. I don't think there's anything important that they need to do anyway, so it won't matter.
Did you know that Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable?
53 deg. mostly cloudy, NW wind @ 15 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 59 deg. cloudy with a 50% chance of rain. N winds @ 30 to 35 mph.
What is going on with this weather???? We had tornadoes in this area again yesterday, and just South of here, down in North Carolina, there was a lot of damage!!! The guy on the TV was saying that there have been 56 confirmed tornadoes, East of the Mississippi, in the last 3 days!!
We're fine here in Virginia Beach, but we had some very heavy rain and strong winds go through here yesterday evening about 7:00. It got pretty exciting for a little while.
I think Linda had a nice Mother's Day yesterday. It started out with Joe calling on the phone to invite Linda and Jim to come into the house and have some breakfast. Then in the afternoon, Joe built a fire in his Franklin type stove, that he has out on his partially enclosed patio, and everyone sat around the fire and visited for awhile. For dinner, Nancy put together a nice meal, and afterwords everyone sat and visited while watching TV. While they were visiting, Laura called from Florida to say Happy Mother's Day. They didn't talk much because the phone connection was very poor, but Linda was really happy that she called.
I doubt if Jim and Linda will be doing too much today. If you read the forecast for today, you already know that they are forecasting rain and 30 to 35 mph winds for this afternoon. Jim really doesn't like being out on windy days, so he'll probably want to just stay inside all day. I don't think there's anything important that they need to do anyway, so it won't matter.
Did you know that Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable?
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mother's Day
Virginia Beach, VA.
54 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 67 deg. becoming cloudy this afternoon with a 70% chance of rain and t-storms this afternoon, winds becoming SE @ 20 to 25 mph.
Happy Mother's Day!!!!!
I wish I had a mother. RVs of course don't have Mothers and Fathers, because we are manufactured and not born. I have referred to some other Beaver Motor homes as Uncles, Aunts, or Cousins, from time to time, but in reality, they're not. I guess at my age, I would probably be referred to as an Uncle, or something like that, by younger Beavers. Anyway, when I see humans with their mothers, I can't help wishing that I had one too. Then I could call her or e-mail her when I felt bad or had a mechanical problem. Or, I could go see her and talk about old times and the great places we've been and things we've seen in our travels. I can just imagine her talking about the beautiful sunrises and sunsets that she had seen.
Ahhh, but it's not to be. I will never be able to do those things. If your Mother is still with you, be sure to contact her today. Talk to her about what has happened in her life, and listen to her stories about the beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
Humans don't know how lucky they are.
Did you know that in 1914 president Woodrow Wilson declared the first National Mother's Day as a day to honor mothers whose sons had died in war?
We haven't forgotten about you Louise.
54 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 67 deg. becoming cloudy this afternoon with a 70% chance of rain and t-storms this afternoon, winds becoming SE @ 20 to 25 mph.
Happy Mother's Day!!!!!
I wish I had a mother. RVs of course don't have Mothers and Fathers, because we are manufactured and not born. I have referred to some other Beaver Motor homes as Uncles, Aunts, or Cousins, from time to time, but in reality, they're not. I guess at my age, I would probably be referred to as an Uncle, or something like that, by younger Beavers. Anyway, when I see humans with their mothers, I can't help wishing that I had one too. Then I could call her or e-mail her when I felt bad or had a mechanical problem. Or, I could go see her and talk about old times and the great places we've been and things we've seen in our travels. I can just imagine her talking about the beautiful sunrises and sunsets that she had seen.
Ahhh, but it's not to be. I will never be able to do those things. If your Mother is still with you, be sure to contact her today. Talk to her about what has happened in her life, and listen to her stories about the beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
Humans don't know how lucky they are.
Did you know that in 1914 president Woodrow Wilson declared the first National Mother's Day as a day to honor mothers whose sons had died in war?
We haven't forgotten about you Louise.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Blustery Day, e-mail, and Mother's Day
Virginia Beach, VA
58 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 64 deg. becoming partly cloudy, North winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
It was a stormy, blustery day yesterday. We had showers and strong winds on and off all day, with high temps in the mid 80's. Then, finally about 6:00 the cold front finally made it's way through and things calmed down.
Linda didn't cook that roast yesterday. Joe (through work) came up with some free tickets to some kind of show in downtown VB, that he, Nancy, and the girls decided to take advantage of. So, being that things were going to get really busy around dinner time, Linda just made a chicken/rice casserole instead. (She's planing on doing the roast today).
After dinner, Jim and Linda came out here and watched TV for the rest of the evening.
Oh, I wanted to tell you. I now have my very own e-mail address now. I've had some people tell me that they don't like the comment thing on this blog, so this should make it easier to contact me, if you should desire.
It's www dot myrddin92 at gmail dot com. Of course you substitute a "." for the dots and the "@" sign for the at. I hope this isn't too confusing, but by giving the e-mail address to you this way, it stops businesses and other spammers from recognizing it as an e-mail address and putting it on their list to send junk mail to.
Is everyone ready for Mother's Day tomorrow? I know not every one's mother is with them any longer, but everyone knows someone who is a mother. Be sure to wish them a "Happy Mother's Day" when you see them or talk to them tomorrow. You never know, it' just might make their day.
Did you know that the first Mother's Day" in the U.S. was celebrated in Grafton, WV on May 10, 1908?
58 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 64 deg. becoming partly cloudy, North winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
It was a stormy, blustery day yesterday. We had showers and strong winds on and off all day, with high temps in the mid 80's. Then, finally about 6:00 the cold front finally made it's way through and things calmed down.
Linda didn't cook that roast yesterday. Joe (through work) came up with some free tickets to some kind of show in downtown VB, that he, Nancy, and the girls decided to take advantage of. So, being that things were going to get really busy around dinner time, Linda just made a chicken/rice casserole instead. (She's planing on doing the roast today).
After dinner, Jim and Linda came out here and watched TV for the rest of the evening.
Oh, I wanted to tell you. I now have my very own e-mail address now. I've had some people tell me that they don't like the comment thing on this blog, so this should make it easier to contact me, if you should desire.
It's www dot myrddin92 at gmail dot com. Of course you substitute a "." for the dots and the "@" sign for the at. I hope this isn't too confusing, but by giving the e-mail address to you this way, it stops businesses and other spammers from recognizing it as an e-mail address and putting it on their list to send junk mail to.
Is everyone ready for Mother's Day tomorrow? I know not every one's mother is with them any longer, but everyone knows someone who is a mother. Be sure to wish them a "Happy Mother's Day" when you see them or talk to them tomorrow. You never know, it' just might make their day.
Did you know that the first Mother's Day" in the U.S. was celebrated in Grafton, WV on May 10, 1908?
Friday, May 9, 2008
Storms and Stamps
Virginia Beach, VA
72 deg. cloudy, winds SW @ 10 to 15 mph and gusty.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. 50% chance of rain, chance of severe storms this morning, 20 to 25 mph SW winds.
It's been real stormy just to the North of Virgina Beach, and they've had some tornadoes in Greensboro, NC, which is not too far from Mike's. I don't know what's going on, but it seems to me that this year, there have been more storms than usual. It seems like every few days, the reporters on TV are talking about tornadoes or other severe weather.
Jim and Linda took CLT and went to the Post Office and the grocery store yesterday afternoon. At the Post Office, they wanted to get a roll of those "forever" stamps that they are advertising on TV. Well, they don't sell them in rolls. The only way you can get them is in small packets. Jim says that they are doing that so people don't buy so many, to stock up at the lower price. Maybe if they wouldn't keep raising their prices every year, people wouldn't feel need to stock up on stamps!
The grocery shopping went well, and the grocery store didn't feel it was necessary to try to limit the groceries that Jim and Linda bought at lower prices than they might be in the future.
OK! I'll quit knocking the Post Office now. I just have this "thing" about how it is run, and the attitude of some of it's employees.
Don't think much is going to be happening around here today. Joe and Nancy will be at work and the girls will be at school, so it's just Jim, Linda, CLT and me. Linda is going to go in the house later and slow cook some kind of roast for dinner tonight. She could do it out here in my convection oven, but I am plugged into a 20 amp circuit here, and running my oven for that long would be pushing it.
Did you know that Alaska has the longest border with Canada of all the fifty states?
72 deg. cloudy, winds SW @ 10 to 15 mph and gusty.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg. 50% chance of rain, chance of severe storms this morning, 20 to 25 mph SW winds.
It's been real stormy just to the North of Virgina Beach, and they've had some tornadoes in Greensboro, NC, which is not too far from Mike's. I don't know what's going on, but it seems to me that this year, there have been more storms than usual. It seems like every few days, the reporters on TV are talking about tornadoes or other severe weather.
Jim and Linda took CLT and went to the Post Office and the grocery store yesterday afternoon. At the Post Office, they wanted to get a roll of those "forever" stamps that they are advertising on TV. Well, they don't sell them in rolls. The only way you can get them is in small packets. Jim says that they are doing that so people don't buy so many, to stock up at the lower price. Maybe if they wouldn't keep raising their prices every year, people wouldn't feel need to stock up on stamps!
The grocery shopping went well, and the grocery store didn't feel it was necessary to try to limit the groceries that Jim and Linda bought at lower prices than they might be in the future.
OK! I'll quit knocking the Post Office now. I just have this "thing" about how it is run, and the attitude of some of it's employees.
Don't think much is going to be happening around here today. Joe and Nancy will be at work and the girls will be at school, so it's just Jim, Linda, CLT and me. Linda is going to go in the house later and slow cook some kind of roast for dinner tonight. She could do it out here in my convection oven, but I am plugged into a 20 amp circuit here, and running my oven for that long would be pushing it.
Did you know that Alaska has the longest border with Canada of all the fifty states?
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Good News from Atlanta
Virgina Beach, VA
66 deg. partly cloudy, NE winds @ 10 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg, becoming mostly cloudy with a 40% chance of showers & t-storms, SW winds @ 20 to 25 mph.
Louise called Linda yesterday and we finally have some encouraging news to report. First of all, she was feeling much better, and her spirits were high. Linda said that she was even laughing as they were talking and really seemed to be in a good mood.
The doctors have been checking on the growth that she has, and are pretty sure that it is a cyst. They are keeping an eye on it , but don't think it's anything that needs attention right away. She also said that they had put her into a wheel chair and she was finally able to get out of her room for awhile. She said it really felt good to see something besides her room. She is still on antibiotics, and will be for a long time, but the infection seems to be under control now.
All in all, very good news!
Nancy was also feeling better yesterday, and came out here to see me. Of course she talked to Jim and Linda for awhile too. It was sure good to see her again, and I hope she continues to feel well.
Not too much happened around here yesterday. Amber had soccer practice, Nancy made a great pasta dish for dinner, Jim and Linda spent some time talking with Joe and his family, and then came out here about 9:00, and watched a little TV before going to bed.
Jim took a couple of photos yesterday. This is Joe and Nancy's house.
66 deg. partly cloudy, NE winds @ 10 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg, becoming mostly cloudy with a 40% chance of showers & t-storms, SW winds @ 20 to 25 mph.
Louise called Linda yesterday and we finally have some encouraging news to report. First of all, she was feeling much better, and her spirits were high. Linda said that she was even laughing as they were talking and really seemed to be in a good mood.
The doctors have been checking on the growth that she has, and are pretty sure that it is a cyst. They are keeping an eye on it , but don't think it's anything that needs attention right away. She also said that they had put her into a wheel chair and she was finally able to get out of her room for awhile. She said it really felt good to see something besides her room. She is still on antibiotics, and will be for a long time, but the infection seems to be under control now.
All in all, very good news!
Nancy was also feeling better yesterday, and came out here to see me. Of course she talked to Jim and Linda for awhile too. It was sure good to see her again, and I hope she continues to feel well.
Not too much happened around here yesterday. Amber had soccer practice, Nancy made a great pasta dish for dinner, Jim and Linda spent some time talking with Joe and his family, and then came out here about 9:00, and watched a little TV before going to bed.
Jim took a couple of photos yesterday. This is Joe and Nancy's house.
This one shows how I fill up their driveway. There's just enough room for CLT to park crosswise in front of me.
Did you know that of all the East Coast States, New Hampshire has the shortest coastline? Only about 14 miles.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Emporia to VB and Getting Level
Virgina Beach, VA
57 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg., sunny, SW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
It was about 10:30 when we left the Jellystone Park in Emporia. We went back South on I-95 for a few miles and then turned East on US 58. When we got to I-64 we took it around to the South and then turned East on I-264, which took us right into Virginia Beach. Then it was just a few miles of side streets before we pulled up in front of Joe's, at about 12:40 PM. We drove 102 miles and it took us 2 hrs and 10 minutes.
Now the tricky part started. Jim got me backed into the driveway on the first try, but once I was in the driveway, my front tires had to be driven up on blocks. Why, you ask? Well, first of all, Jim doesn't want to use my leveling jacks here because he's afraid that they will damage the driveway, and it is just slanted enough that I can't quite get level with my air suspension system. And, when I'm not level, my drains don't work right and most importantly, it can damage my refrigerator. Anyway, Jim and Linda got me up on the blocks without too much trouble, and now I am settled in for a 2 week stay.
When we got here, Nancy was home from work because she was not feeling well, so Jim and Linda just waited in me for Sami (Samantha), and Amber to come home from school, and for Joe to come home from work. Amber got home about 2:30, Sami arrived about 4:00 and Joe rolled in about 5:30. They all stopped in to see me when they got home. Of course they gave Jim and Linda hugs too. Boy, those girls have grown since we were here last October!
Sami had soccer practice, (which Joe coaches), Amber went along, and Nancy still wasn't feeling well, so Jim and Linda hopped into CLT and went to the local Hardee's and got a sandwich for dinner. When Joe and the girls got back, Jim and Linda went into the house and visited for awhile. Then they came back out here, and watched a little TV before going to bed.
Another good day.
Did you know that Chris Ford scored the first ever NBA three-point shot?
We haven't forgotten you, Louise.
57 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg., sunny, SW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
It was about 10:30 when we left the Jellystone Park in Emporia. We went back South on I-95 for a few miles and then turned East on US 58. When we got to I-64 we took it around to the South and then turned East on I-264, which took us right into Virginia Beach. Then it was just a few miles of side streets before we pulled up in front of Joe's, at about 12:40 PM. We drove 102 miles and it took us 2 hrs and 10 minutes.
Now the tricky part started. Jim got me backed into the driveway on the first try, but once I was in the driveway, my front tires had to be driven up on blocks. Why, you ask? Well, first of all, Jim doesn't want to use my leveling jacks here because he's afraid that they will damage the driveway, and it is just slanted enough that I can't quite get level with my air suspension system. And, when I'm not level, my drains don't work right and most importantly, it can damage my refrigerator. Anyway, Jim and Linda got me up on the blocks without too much trouble, and now I am settled in for a 2 week stay.
When we got here, Nancy was home from work because she was not feeling well, so Jim and Linda just waited in me for Sami (Samantha), and Amber to come home from school, and for Joe to come home from work. Amber got home about 2:30, Sami arrived about 4:00 and Joe rolled in about 5:30. They all stopped in to see me when they got home. Of course they gave Jim and Linda hugs too. Boy, those girls have grown since we were here last October!
Sami had soccer practice, (which Joe coaches), Amber went along, and Nancy still wasn't feeling well, so Jim and Linda hopped into CLT and went to the local Hardee's and got a sandwich for dinner. When Joe and the girls got back, Jim and Linda went into the house and visited for awhile. Then they came back out here, and watched a little TV before going to bed.
Another good day.
Did you know that Chris Ford scored the first ever NBA three-point shot?
We haven't forgotten you, Louise.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Apex to Emporia and Holding Tanks
Emporia, VA
50 deg. partly cloudy, very light fog, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. partly cloudy, NW wind @ 5 to 10 mph.
I was ready to leave Apex by 5:00 AM yesterday morning, but Jim and Linda didn't seem to be in much of a hurry. In fact, we didn't pull out of our site until about 10:45, and then we still had to make a stop at the dump station to empty my holding tanks. By the time we left the CG, it was about 11:00!!
I didn't think we were ever going to get going!
After finally leaving, we got back on US 64 and followed it up to Raleigh, took the Outer Belt Route around the city, and then took 64 NE towards Rocky Mount. When we got to I-95 we turned North and followed 95 up here to Emporia, and the Jellystone RV Park. We were on the road for a little less than 2 1/2 hours and covered 137 miles.
We don't usually stay at Jellystone parks because they tend to be quite a bit more expensive than other parks, but the park we used to stay at in this area, (The Cattail Creek RV Park), has evidently closed down. It was run by an elderly couple who had a lot of health problems, and I guess they couldn't handle the park any more. Either that, or one of them got sick. Anyway Jim tried to call, and there was a message saying that the number was disconnected. That's the same message he got when he tried to call them last fall.
Anyway, here we are at the Jellystone Park, which is very nice, with very nice people running it. I have a site in the wooded area of the park, and I have full-hookups so that Jim can dump my tanks again this morning. They need to be completely empty when we get to Joe's house in Virginia Beach today.
Why do they have to be empty to go to Joe's in Virginia Beach, you ask? Well, I will be parked in his driveway, and there is no place to empty either one of my tanks. So, by the time we leave there, (2 weeks from now), they will be completely full. In fact, Jim and Linda will have to be very careful of how much water they use, and of how much water goes down my drains.
You don't even want to know what happens when my tanks overflow!
I don't imagine that we'll be leaving here very early today. It's only about 100 miles to Joe's, and he and Nancy will probably both be working, so there's no reason to hurry.
My itchy tire condition? It's much better now. Thanks for asking.
Did you know that a Chinese checkerboard has 121 holes?
50 deg. partly cloudy, very light fog, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. partly cloudy, NW wind @ 5 to 10 mph.
I was ready to leave Apex by 5:00 AM yesterday morning, but Jim and Linda didn't seem to be in much of a hurry. In fact, we didn't pull out of our site until about 10:45, and then we still had to make a stop at the dump station to empty my holding tanks. By the time we left the CG, it was about 11:00!!
I didn't think we were ever going to get going!
After finally leaving, we got back on US 64 and followed it up to Raleigh, took the Outer Belt Route around the city, and then took 64 NE towards Rocky Mount. When we got to I-95 we turned North and followed 95 up here to Emporia, and the Jellystone RV Park. We were on the road for a little less than 2 1/2 hours and covered 137 miles.
We don't usually stay at Jellystone parks because they tend to be quite a bit more expensive than other parks, but the park we used to stay at in this area, (The Cattail Creek RV Park), has evidently closed down. It was run by an elderly couple who had a lot of health problems, and I guess they couldn't handle the park any more. Either that, or one of them got sick. Anyway Jim tried to call, and there was a message saying that the number was disconnected. That's the same message he got when he tried to call them last fall.
Anyway, here we are at the Jellystone Park, which is very nice, with very nice people running it. I have a site in the wooded area of the park, and I have full-hookups so that Jim can dump my tanks again this morning. They need to be completely empty when we get to Joe's house in Virginia Beach today.
Why do they have to be empty to go to Joe's in Virginia Beach, you ask? Well, I will be parked in his driveway, and there is no place to empty either one of my tanks. So, by the time we leave there, (2 weeks from now), they will be completely full. In fact, Jim and Linda will have to be very careful of how much water they use, and of how much water goes down my drains.
You don't even want to know what happens when my tanks overflow!
I don't imagine that we'll be leaving here very early today. It's only about 100 miles to Joe's, and he and Nancy will probably both be working, so there's no reason to hurry.
My itchy tire condition? It's much better now. Thanks for asking.
Did you know that a Chinese checkerboard has 121 holes?
Monday, May 5, 2008
Saying Good-bye and Getting Ready to Travel
Apex, NC.
60 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 74 deg. partly cloudy, 40% chance of showers, NE winds @ 5 mph.
Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to Mike's about 1:30 yesterday afternoon. After a great afternoon of visiting, it was time to give hugs and say good-bye. It's always hard to leave your loved ones, but new adventures await around the next curve, and we will be back here again. In the meantime, phone calls, e-mails, and cards and letters will keep everyone updated on what's happening.
This is another reason that I started this blog. At any time, any of Jim and Linda's kids, grandchildren, relatives or friends, can get on the Internet, and find out exactly where we are and what is going on in their lives. I used to send out a Monthly Newsletter by snail mail, but by the time it was received, we were long gone from where we were when it was mailed, and the news was way out of date.
After Jim and Linda left Mike's, they decided to go to Perkins to get something to eat. CLT tells me that he thinks that they had breakfast for dinner! Humans, I'll never figure them out.
Anyway, they got back here to the campground about 6:30, and started getting me ready to travel today. Jim filled my fresh water tank because the water here is quite good, and the water at Joe's in Virginia Beach is quite bad. Then he checked my tires and awnings before coming in to watch TV. While Jim was doing that, Linda started putting stuff away inside of me.
You remember me telling you about the Used Car Lot across the road from me? Well, he's still there, and the lights were on all night again. Oh well, it doesn't really matter now. I'm leaving here today!!
Hmmm, haven't heard anything from Roland lately. Maybe Jim or Linda will call him today.
Did you know that there are almost twice as many people in Rhode Island than there are in Alaska?
60 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 74 deg. partly cloudy, 40% chance of showers, NE winds @ 5 mph.
Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to Mike's about 1:30 yesterday afternoon. After a great afternoon of visiting, it was time to give hugs and say good-bye. It's always hard to leave your loved ones, but new adventures await around the next curve, and we will be back here again. In the meantime, phone calls, e-mails, and cards and letters will keep everyone updated on what's happening.
This is another reason that I started this blog. At any time, any of Jim and Linda's kids, grandchildren, relatives or friends, can get on the Internet, and find out exactly where we are and what is going on in their lives. I used to send out a Monthly Newsletter by snail mail, but by the time it was received, we were long gone from where we were when it was mailed, and the news was way out of date.
After Jim and Linda left Mike's, they decided to go to Perkins to get something to eat. CLT tells me that he thinks that they had breakfast for dinner! Humans, I'll never figure them out.
Anyway, they got back here to the campground about 6:30, and started getting me ready to travel today. Jim filled my fresh water tank because the water here is quite good, and the water at Joe's in Virginia Beach is quite bad. Then he checked my tires and awnings before coming in to watch TV. While Jim was doing that, Linda started putting stuff away inside of me.
You remember me telling you about the Used Car Lot across the road from me? Well, he's still there, and the lights were on all night again. Oh well, it doesn't really matter now. I'm leaving here today!!
Hmmm, haven't heard anything from Roland lately. Maybe Jim or Linda will call him today.
Did you know that there are almost twice as many people in Rhode Island than there are in Alaska?
Sunday, May 4, 2008
A Great Day and The Used Car Lot
Apex, NC
62 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. partly cloudy, NW wind @ 5 mph.
Yesterday was a great day! Mike, Gina, Brenna, Savanna, and Dillon all came our here to the campground. They got here around noon, and stayed most of the afternoon. On the grill, Jim cooked steaks for the adults and hot dogs for the girls, while Linda made scalloped potatoes and green beans on my stove and in my convection oven for everyone.
After lunch, Mike and his family walked down to the lake and back, and Jim and Linda cleaned up the lunch stuff. After they got back, Jim, Linda, Mike and Gina talked, and the girls played both outside and inside of me. As for Dillon, he's too little to do much, but he did seem to entertain the adults quite a bit.
This afternoon, Jim and Linda will be going over to Mike's for awhile. This is going to be another one of those "bittersweet" days. It is the last day of our stay here in Apex, so it will be good seeing Mike and his family, but kind of sad when it is time to say good-by.
I expect Jim and Linda to be a little "down", when they come back here later this afternoon.
OK, I wasn't going to say anything, but I can't help it!
You come to this kind of park, (with lots of trees and wildlife), to be close to nature, so what does this guy across the road from me do? He puts out a light display that would rival most Christmas decorations! He has 2 of those fake palm trees that light up, some other kind of decoration on the ground, a couple of strings of lights across his awning and down the sides, and a string of rope lights outlining his patio area. Yes, you guessed it, he left them on all night!! The rest of the CG was completely dark, but jerk decided he wanted to light up his site like a used car lot!!
I don't understand how some people can be so inconsiderate of others. My only hope is that he leaves today, with the rest of the week-enders!
Did you know that Betty Rubble's maiden name was Betty Jean Mcbricker?
Man, my tires are itching!!!
62 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. partly cloudy, NW wind @ 5 mph.
Yesterday was a great day! Mike, Gina, Brenna, Savanna, and Dillon all came our here to the campground. They got here around noon, and stayed most of the afternoon. On the grill, Jim cooked steaks for the adults and hot dogs for the girls, while Linda made scalloped potatoes and green beans on my stove and in my convection oven for everyone.
After lunch, Mike and his family walked down to the lake and back, and Jim and Linda cleaned up the lunch stuff. After they got back, Jim, Linda, Mike and Gina talked, and the girls played both outside and inside of me. As for Dillon, he's too little to do much, but he did seem to entertain the adults quite a bit.
This afternoon, Jim and Linda will be going over to Mike's for awhile. This is going to be another one of those "bittersweet" days. It is the last day of our stay here in Apex, so it will be good seeing Mike and his family, but kind of sad when it is time to say good-by.
I expect Jim and Linda to be a little "down", when they come back here later this afternoon.
OK, I wasn't going to say anything, but I can't help it!
You come to this kind of park, (with lots of trees and wildlife), to be close to nature, so what does this guy across the road from me do? He puts out a light display that would rival most Christmas decorations! He has 2 of those fake palm trees that light up, some other kind of decoration on the ground, a couple of strings of lights across his awning and down the sides, and a string of rope lights outlining his patio area. Yes, you guessed it, he left them on all night!! The rest of the CG was completely dark, but jerk decided he wanted to light up his site like a used car lot!!
I don't understand how some people can be so inconsiderate of others. My only hope is that he leaves today, with the rest of the week-enders!
Did you know that Betty Rubble's maiden name was Betty Jean Mcbricker?
Man, my tires are itching!!!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
The Perfect Site
Apex, NC
59 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. becoming mostly sunny SW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
Some people have a lot of trouble finding the "perfect" campground site. If course, I have found that like so many other things, there is no "perfect" site. There is always some little thing you would change, if you could. Maybe the fire ring is a little too close to your RV or tent, maybe the place where you wanted to have your table is not quite level, or maybe it's that tree root that you keep tripping over.
Anyway, this area that we are in here at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, is laid out in a big circle. When campers come into the area, they drive in a counter-clockwise direction around the circle and look at the different sites that are available. Some of them go real slow and carefully study the empty sites, while others blast around and around the circle thinking they are going to find their "perfect site" as they flash by. There was this one guy that went past my site at least 4 times, each time driving way too fast to really see what the sites were like.
Then there was another guy that backed, (with much difficulty, I might add), into a site across the road and down a little from me, stayed there for about 5 minutes, and then pulled back out again and drove away. You would think he would have checked the site out better before going through all that trouble of backing in there, and then finding out that it wasn't his "perfect site".
Other than watching all the campers come into the park for the weekend, not too much happened around here. Jim took a ride on his bicycle, sat with Linda outside for awhile, took a little nap, and cooked some burgers on the grill for dinner. Linda did some genealogy research on the Internet and then entered some info into her "Family Tree" program, took a little nap in the chair, and fixed some salads to go with Jim's burgers.
Well, I'd better go. I have to get ready for my company that's coming today. Mike and his family should be getting here around noon, and I want to be ready.
Did you know that Wilma Flintstone's maiden name was Wilma Slaghoopal?
Still thinking about you Louise.
59 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. becoming mostly sunny SW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
Some people have a lot of trouble finding the "perfect" campground site. If course, I have found that like so many other things, there is no "perfect" site. There is always some little thing you would change, if you could. Maybe the fire ring is a little too close to your RV or tent, maybe the place where you wanted to have your table is not quite level, or maybe it's that tree root that you keep tripping over.
Anyway, this area that we are in here at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, is laid out in a big circle. When campers come into the area, they drive in a counter-clockwise direction around the circle and look at the different sites that are available. Some of them go real slow and carefully study the empty sites, while others blast around and around the circle thinking they are going to find their "perfect site" as they flash by. There was this one guy that went past my site at least 4 times, each time driving way too fast to really see what the sites were like.
Then there was another guy that backed, (with much difficulty, I might add), into a site across the road and down a little from me, stayed there for about 5 minutes, and then pulled back out again and drove away. You would think he would have checked the site out better before going through all that trouble of backing in there, and then finding out that it wasn't his "perfect site".
Other than watching all the campers come into the park for the weekend, not too much happened around here. Jim took a ride on his bicycle, sat with Linda outside for awhile, took a little nap, and cooked some burgers on the grill for dinner. Linda did some genealogy research on the Internet and then entered some info into her "Family Tree" program, took a little nap in the chair, and fixed some salads to go with Jim's burgers.
Well, I'd better go. I have to get ready for my company that's coming today. Mike and his family should be getting here around noon, and I want to be ready.
Did you know that Wilma Flintstone's maiden name was Wilma Slaghoopal?
Still thinking about you Louise.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Itchy Tires and Family
Apex, NC
58 deg. cloudy, little breeze.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. partly sunny, SW wind @ 10 to 15 mph with 25 mph gusts.
My tires are getting itchy again. As you know, every time I sit in one place too long, it happens. I really didn't expect it right now though. It's been less than 2 weeks since we got here, and normally it takes a month or longer for it to get really bad. The only reason that I can think of is that if you look back at my travels for the last month or so, I haven't really been on the move that much. We were in Orange City for 2 weeks, after we left there, we only traveled up to Atlanta, where I stayed for a week. Then it was just another couple of days travel here to Apex, where I've been sitting for almost 2 weeks. So when you look at it that way, I've only traveled 4 days out of the last 5 weeks!
No wonder they're itching!
Oh oh! I just thought of something. From here we go to Virgina Beach, to see Joe and his family, where I will be sitting for 2 more weeks!! Oh me! I just know my tires will be driving me crazy by the time we leave there!
Jim and Linda went over to Mike's yesterday afternoon. For dinner, they ordered a Pizza which everyone enjoyed. Today, Mike and his family are invited to a party at a friend's house, so Jim and Linda won't be going over there,
Tomorrow, Mike and his family will be coming out here to the campground to see me again!! Hopefully, Gina and Dillon will be able to come this time. I've never seen Dillon, except in a photo.
Did you know that Lucy Ricardo's maiden name was McGillicudy?
Get well, Louise.
58 deg. cloudy, little breeze.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. partly sunny, SW wind @ 10 to 15 mph with 25 mph gusts.
My tires are getting itchy again. As you know, every time I sit in one place too long, it happens. I really didn't expect it right now though. It's been less than 2 weeks since we got here, and normally it takes a month or longer for it to get really bad. The only reason that I can think of is that if you look back at my travels for the last month or so, I haven't really been on the move that much. We were in Orange City for 2 weeks, after we left there, we only traveled up to Atlanta, where I stayed for a week. Then it was just another couple of days travel here to Apex, where I've been sitting for almost 2 weeks. So when you look at it that way, I've only traveled 4 days out of the last 5 weeks!
No wonder they're itching!
Oh oh! I just thought of something. From here we go to Virgina Beach, to see Joe and his family, where I will be sitting for 2 more weeks!! Oh me! I just know my tires will be driving me crazy by the time we leave there!
Jim and Linda went over to Mike's yesterday afternoon. For dinner, they ordered a Pizza which everyone enjoyed. Today, Mike and his family are invited to a party at a friend's house, so Jim and Linda won't be going over there,
Tomorrow, Mike and his family will be coming out here to the campground to see me again!! Hopefully, Gina and Dillon will be able to come this time. I've never seen Dillon, except in a photo.
Did you know that Lucy Ricardo's maiden name was McGillicudy?
Get well, Louise.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Spring, Fall, and Mable
Apex, NC
46 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 77 deg. mostly sunny, S. winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
Happy May Day!! AAhhh! May flowers!
A nice thing about Full-timing and moving North and South is the fact that we can enjoy very long spring and fall seasons. The flowers were just starting to bloom when we left Florida, and by the time we left Georgia, they were blooming there. Now, the flowers are just starting to bloom here in North Carolina. The same goes for the fall season. Some years, we can enjoy the beautiful fall foliage for a couple of months as we travel back South.
Jim and Linda did go to eat at the Perkins Restaurant yesterday evening. After eating they did a little driving around to explore the area. CLT, (Cute Little Truck), told me that Mable, (the little lady in the GPS unit), got really upset with Jim because he kept going "off course", and she had to keep recalculating the route! CLT said that at times, she was so confused that she was telling Jim to make left and right turns at almost the same time, and telling him to turn when there wasn't even a corner! Poor Mable, she finally got straightened out when Jim got her back on course. :-)
Not much going on around here. Today promises to be a beautiful day, so I imagine that Jim will be outside quite a bit. Maybe he'll take a ride on his bicycle today. He's been wanting to get some photos of the lake, and riding over there would be good exercise and he could get his photos at the same time.
Did you know that it takes a lobster approximately seven years to grow to be one pound?
46 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 77 deg. mostly sunny, S. winds @ 10 to 15 mph.
Happy May Day!! AAhhh! May flowers!
A nice thing about Full-timing and moving North and South is the fact that we can enjoy very long spring and fall seasons. The flowers were just starting to bloom when we left Florida, and by the time we left Georgia, they were blooming there. Now, the flowers are just starting to bloom here in North Carolina. The same goes for the fall season. Some years, we can enjoy the beautiful fall foliage for a couple of months as we travel back South.
Jim and Linda did go to eat at the Perkins Restaurant yesterday evening. After eating they did a little driving around to explore the area. CLT, (Cute Little Truck), told me that Mable, (the little lady in the GPS unit), got really upset with Jim because he kept going "off course", and she had to keep recalculating the route! CLT said that at times, she was so confused that she was telling Jim to make left and right turns at almost the same time, and telling him to turn when there wasn't even a corner! Poor Mable, she finally got straightened out when Jim got her back on course. :-)
Not much going on around here. Today promises to be a beautiful day, so I imagine that Jim will be outside quite a bit. Maybe he'll take a ride on his bicycle today. He's been wanting to get some photos of the lake, and riding over there would be good exercise and he could get his photos at the same time.
Did you know that it takes a lobster approximately seven years to grow to be one pound?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)