One Of Those Days

Amarillo, TX El. 3685'
64 deg. clear, light S. wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. mostly cloudy, 40% chance of rain, S. winds @ 10 to 20 mph.

Why are some days better than others? How come some days, nothing seems to go quite right? You can't always put your finger on it, but small things bother you. You take what someone says the wrong way, the weather doesn't cooperate with what you want to do, that "dumb" driver cuts you off, you spill the water, you trip on the rug. You know what I mean.

Jim had one of those days yesterday. Little things just seemed to go wrong. The TV reception was bad on the channel that he wanted to watch, he and Linda needed desperately to go to the grocery store, and while there, people just kept getting in his way. He had trouble finding the merchandise that he wanted, and then to top it off, when he and Linda went to check out, their debit card wouldn't work! And, then to really top it off, when they came out of the grocery store, it was raining!

Now, there is plenty of money in that account, (Linda called their automated system to make sure), so that's not the problem. Why it wouldn't work is any body's guess, but now Tuesday morning, (can't call Monday because of the Holiday), they will have to call the bank, (before we leave here), and find out what's going on.

So, why are some days like this? Does it have something to do with the alignment of the stars, or the phase of the moon? Is it because the person is not feeling just right, and doesn't even realize it? Is it because something happened early in the day, and got you in a bad mood?

I don't think we'll ever know. Some days are just like that. It doesn't matter if your working at a job, sitting around the house and watching TV, or full-timing in an RV, everyone seems to have those "bad days". I don't think that there's anything that can be done about it. You just have to deal with it the best that you can, and hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

Did you know that the Amarillo's airport has the 3rd largest runway in the world and is designated as an alternate landing site for the space shuttle?

NW To Amarillo, A Resort? and A Louise Update

Amarillo, TX El. 3054'
64 deg. clear, SE wind @ 4 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 83 deg. becoming mostly cloudy with a 40% chance of showers & t-storms. SE winds @ 10 to 15 mph.

The trip from Wichita Falls to Amarillo, went well. We left the Wichita Falls RV Pk about 9:30 and headed NW on US 287 which took us all the way to Amarillo. The photo below, was taken out of my windshield as we traveled through the Texas Panhandle. You can see for miles and miles. Just East of Amarillo, 287 joined up with I-40 which we took through the city and to the Sundown RV Resort. It was just about 2:00 when we got here, so we were on the road for 4 1/2 hours and traveled 231 miles.

This park is just West of the city, right along side of the expressway, and in my opinion, it is not a resort! Now, don't get me wrong. This is not a bad park, but a resort? I don't think so! I think I've talked about this in the past, but in my humble opinion, to be a resort, you need to have a pool, activities, maybe a tennis court, playground and nice manicured lawns with paved streets. Except for the pool, this park does not have any of those things!! Of course, I have to admit that we are not paying resort prices either. We are staying here (with a Good Sam discount) for less that $20 per night. The couple managing the park are very nice, and the man got on a golf cart and led me to my site and showed Jim where all the hook-ups were. So, all in all, I think this park will be just fine for me to stay at until this Holiday weekend is over.

Jim got an e-mail from Big Herb yesterday. As you probably remember, Big Herb is Roland and Louise's MH and he's in N. Carolina now while Louise recovers from that terrible accident that they had. Well anyway, Louise is still making progress with her recovery, she may have surgery soon on that cyst, and the doctors told her that it may be possible for her, Roland, and Big Herb to spend this next winter down in Florida!

Now folks, that's great news!! I wasn't too long ago, that it was doubtful if Louise would ever be able to travel again, and now it sounds like they may be able to spend the winter with their friends in FL.

I'll bet Big Herb is happy. I think he was afraid that he would have to spend the rest of his days just sitting in North Carolina.

Did you know that the King Ranch in Texas is bigger than the state of Rhode Island?

Way to go Louise!!!

A Few Photos, Elevation and A Golden Chick

Wichita Falls, TX El. 991'
75 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 99 deg. partly cloudy, 30% chance of afternoon showers, S. winds @ 10 mph.

Here's a photo that Jim took of the falls, here in Wichita Falls. This shot was taken from a parking lot, across the river. They're really kind of neat, and you can take a walk along a path that leads to the bottom of the falls, if you want.

You pet lovers might get a kick out of this photo. It's the dog walk area here in the Park. there must be about 20 fire hydrants for your pet's pleasure. :-)

I don't know if you noticed or not, but as of today, I added the elevation of the city we are in, or near. I thought it might be interesting to see what the elevations are as we go up into the mountains and come back down again.

Yesterday, Jim and Linda took CLT and gave him a drink of gasoline. Then they took a little drive around to see some of the sites, like the falls shown above. On the way back here, they stopped at a Golden Chick restaurant and picked up some chicken for dinner. Golden Chick is very much like a KFC restaurant that you might be more familiar with.

Today, we head for Amarillo, where we will stay for the Holiday weekend. I hope the RV park there, is as nice as this one. To get there, I'll have to do some climbing. Amarillo's elevation is over 3000'.

Did you know that in Dennison, TX, it is illegal for a woman to adjust her stockings in public?

3rd Time The Charm? and The Weather

Wichita Falls, TX
77 deg. clear, light winds.
Forecast today = high temp. 99 deg. clear, S. winds @ 10 mph.

Well, I'm going to try this one more time. I'm having all kinds of problems getting this posted today. I had a post completed at one time, and then got an error message when I tried to actually post it. It didn't work the 2nd time either!

Very discouraging!

Anyway, not much happening around here, it's just too hot to do much. The temp. on the side of me that's in the shade was up to 97 yesterday, and they are forecasting more of the same today. Tomorrow we'll head for Amarillo, but the weather there is about the same as here. I suppose we'll have to get up in the mountains before it gets much cooler.

I've got some photos that I want to post, but I'll try to get them on tomorrow's post. I don't want to mess around with it too much today, I've already lost them twice.

Did you know that in Austin, TX it is illegal to carry a wire cutter in your pocket?

Confusing Roads and A Great Meal

Wichita Falls, TX
72 deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 99 deg. partly cloudy, South winds @ 10 to 15 mph.

We left the Five Rivers Motel and RV Park at 10:00 yesterday and continued NW on US 69. After about 25 miles, we turned West on US 82, and followed it to Henrietta, TX where it joined up with US 287. 287 took us right to Wichita Falls and the Wichita Falls RV Park. We pulled into the park at 1:00 so we were on the road for 3 hours and traveled 150 miles.

One other quick note. Jim got me another drink of #2 diesel yesterday, and guess what? He got it for $3.99 per gallon!! It's about time the price came down a little!!

Getting here to the RV Park was kind of confusing. The directions in the Campground Book were pretty good, but there are so many streets veering off and crossing over, it's difficult to know exactly which lane you need to be in, to be in the right place to make the correct turns. At one point, we were in the left lane to make a left turn, only to find out that we needed to be in the center lane, for one more block. Luckily, there was not a vehicle in the lane to our right, so Jim was able to quickly get me over there, and we did manage to make our turn.

The Wichita Falls RV Park is very nice with medium sized trees, large level sites and nicely mowed grass. When Jim went into the office to register, he asked the man if there was a site with some shade, so the man put me in site #42 which gives me some shade most of the day.

OK, now I can hear you asking, "Why is he so concerned with having shade?" Well, it's really quite simple. Our reservation at the CG in Amarillo, TX, (where we are going to stay for the Labor Day weekend), does not start until Friday. That gives us 3 days to stay here and explore this area. Well, if I'm going to be here for 3 days, and the temperatures are going to be in the upper 90's, shade is nice. Oh, and something else. I'm sure you've heard the phrase that says, "Everything is bigger in Texas", well my site is huge! It's nice and wide, and it's long enough that you could put another RV in behind me. It's got to be over 80' long, and there are a bunch of them like this!

A few days ago, (after we got into Texas), Linda made the comment that she would like to go to a restaurant in Texas, and have a good steak dinner. Well, last night, Jim took her to a Texas Roadhouse Restaurant, where she had a Sirloin Steak and he had a Fort Worth Ribeye Steak. Their meals must have been really good, because CLT (Cute Little Truck) said that they were talking about the great food all the way back here to the park.

Did you know that the water falls in Wichita Falls, are man-made because the original falls washed away in a flood about 100 years ago?

The Scenic Route and A Mistake?

Leonard, TX
70 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 94 deg. mostly sunny, light and variable winds.

We left Miss Ellie's CG a little after 10:00 yesterday morning and headed back towards I-20. Notice I said headed back towards, and not back to. Well, Jim missed the entrance ramp for the Interstate, so we had to take a scenic route for about 10 miles until we finally got on at the next entrance ramp. Luckily, there was a road running along side of I-20 that we could go on. Once back on I-20, we followed it until we came to US 69, where we turned NW and took it all the way up here to the Five Rivers Motel and RV Park, in the small town of Leonard.

We pulled into the park at about 1:20, so we were on the road for about 3 hours and 10 minutes and covered 165 miles.

I-20 was very good here in Texas, but US 69 needs some work in places. 69 was especially rough right after we left the Interstate. After that, it was fairly smooth in most places, but rough in others.

When we first pulled into this park, I thought, "Oh no! We've made a mistake!" It really looked rough and not well maintained. But, while Jim was in the office talking to the lady, a mowing crew pulled in, and started to mow the tall grass, and boy, what a difference that made! Now don't get me wrong, this is not a 5 star park, and maybe not even a 2 star park, but for an overnight stop, it works for me.

I don't know where they got the name of Five Rivers for this Motel and RV Park. I haven't seen a river for miles, much less 5 of them. Jim asked the lady in the office about the name, but she had no idea where it came from.

Another mystery!

The weather has been really hot lately. Actually we have had temps around 90 degrees ever since we left Florida, and now for Northern Texas, they are forecasting temps in the mid to upper 90's for the whole next week! Needless to say, Jim and Linda haven't spent much time outside.

Oh, and Fay, she finally gave up trying to catch me. I guess I'm just too fast for her. ;-)

Did you know that on this date in 1920 the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, went into effect?

Kick-Back Day and Go Away Fay

Waskom, TX
73 deg. mostly cloudy, NW winds @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 90 deg. partly cloudy, 30% chance of showers.

Yep, we're still here at Miss Ellie's RV Park. Jim and Linda both decided that they needed a "kick-back" day, and since we all seem to like this park, it was an easy decision to make. About the only thing they did yesterday was to go and pick up a few groceries at the Hall Grocery Store in beautiful down town Waskom. Well, I don't know if it's beautiful or not, but I thought it sounded good. :-) After that it was nap time, and then in the evening, they watched the closing ceremonies for the Olympic Games.

I don't know about you, but I thought the closing ceremonies were kind of, (How should I put it?), dumb! After the great opening ceremonies, I was expecting something a lot more exciting than a bunch of people crawling around on a tower.

Oh, I found out something kind of neat about this park. When Jim went to the office to pay for another night, he asked Georgine, the park manager, who Miss Ellie was. She told him that the park was named after the owner's 8 year old daughter. When they purchased this park 3 years ago, she was 5 and they decided to name it after her.

Fickle Fay is still following me. She has slowed down, and is looking like she's going to head North, but today they are forecasting clouds and rain for almost the entire state of Louisiana, from the outer edges of her. They've downgraded her to a depression, and I can tell you that I'm getting depressed from her following me half way across the country. Go Away Fay!!!

Today we'll continue heading in a Westerly direction. I don't know if I told you or not, but Jim called a RV park in Amarillo and made a reservation for the Labor Day weekend. He told the lady we would be there on Friday, so we have plenty of time to get there.

Maybe we'll have another "kick-back" day along the way. :-)

Did you know that today is Kiss and Make Up Day?

MS to TX, and Miss Ellie's

Waskom, TX
72 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 92 deg. mostly cloudy with a 40% chance of rain, N. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

Howdy!!! After slowly working my way back to the Interstate on that narrow little road, we continued West on I-20. About 20 miles down the road, we crossed the "Mighty Mississippi" river, and entered Louisiana. That river always impresses me. No matter where we have crossed it, it is huge, and there always seems to be boat traffic on it. And, when you think of the history of the river, and all the people and ships that have navigated it's waters, it's really amazing.

Soon after we crossed the river, Jim pulled me into a T/A Truck stop and filled me up with good old # 2 diesel. This time, the pump kept shutting off after it pumped $75, but it allowed Jim to keep putting his credit card back in again and continue until I had my fill. Geesh!! They sure don't make it easy to buy fuel!!

The road in Louisiana was better than it was in Mississippi, and we made good time. Being that it was Saturday, Jim and Linda thought it might be a good idea to call ahead to a CG to make sure they had a site for me. Well, when they tried to call the one in Louisiana that Jim had picked out of the CG book, there was no answer, so after 2 tries, they decided to call one further down the road, and that's how we ended up here, just across the state line, at Miss Ellie's RV Park in Waskom TX.

Miss Ellie's is a very nice park. It's a little too close to the Interstate, but other than that, it would be a great place to spend some time. When Jim and Linda called to see if there was a site available, the lady on the phone said that she wouldn't be there when we arrived, but to go ahead and pull into site #9, and she would see us later. We found our site without any problems and about 1/2 hour later the lady returned to the park, and came over to greet us. One of the first things the lady said, was how much she liked the looks of me. She thought I was much better looking than some of those new RVs with all of the wild graphics on them. I like this lady! :-)

Anyway, we left Edwards MS at 9:15, crossed LA, and arrived here in Texas at about 1:45. We were on the road for about 4 1/2 hours and traveled 220 miles.

Did you know that today is National Waffle Day?

Catching Up

Edwards, MS
72 deg. Haze, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. partly cloudy, 40% chance of showers, NE winds at 10 to 15 mph.

As you know, I finally had a Internet connection yesterday afternoon when we got here to Edwards. I tried to post these photos of my site at the COE park in Demopolis, but without success. Well, this morning, I finally got them to load onto Blogger, so here they are.

The first one is of my site, (#10), where I am backed up to the water. As you can see, the whole parking area is cement. Off to the left, is the gravel area with the picnic table and fire ring. This one is looking off to the area behind me. You can see the water, and watch the fish jump and the birds catching bugs on the water.
Jim took more photos than this of the park, but it took forever to get these 2 loaded, so I gave up on the others.

Fickle Fay is still following me as we head West. So far, I haven't had any trouble staying ahead of her, but for now, we can't linger anywhere too long. I'm thinking that once we get to Texas, she'll give up, and maybe head North or something. Actually we've had very good weather. Every day has been mostly sunny with only a few sprinkles from time to time. It's been really hot though, with temperatures right around 90 degrees every day.

Did you know that a full moon always rises at sunset?

A Great Park and I Can Fly!

Edwards, MS.
93 deg. partly cloudy, slight breeze.
Forecast tonight= partly cloudy, lows on the lower 70's, light NW winds.

The Foscue Creek COE park near Demopolis is just great! The whole parking area at each site is cement, and there is a large gravel area where there is a table, fire ring/grill, and a post to hang your lantern or light on. The interior park roads are all blacktop, and there is nice, mowed green grass and trees everywhere. As an added bonus, Jim has what he calls his "Old Fogey Card" which gives him a 50% discount.

For $10 per night, we stayed for 2 nights! :-)

Yesterday, not too much happened. It was a day to just kick back and relax. For dinner, CLT took Jim and Linda into town and to the Farm House Restaurant. It's nothing fancy, but they have some very good home-cooked meals at reasonable prices.

Today, we left Demopolis at about 10:00 and continued West on US 80. When we came to I-20, Jim pulled me into a Texaco station that was just before the on-ramp. Well, that was a mistake! When Jim started fueling me up, the pump shut off at $100. Now, this might sound like a lot, but $100 only buys about 24 gallons of fuel. Well, the last drink I had, was way down in Lakeland, FL, and I was thirsty!! So, Jim went into the station and asked the gal if she could keep the pump running if he would leave the card with her. She said NO! She told Jim to just keep putting in the card every $100, and probably it would keep pumping out the 24 gallons each time. Well, it didn't. After the second time, the pump wouldn't take the card anymore. Grrrr!! Well, at least I got a drink, even though it wasn't big enough to fill me up.

By the way, don't stop at the Texaco station at the AL/MS state line on I-20, if you want good service. They don't care if you get fueled up or not!

Once on I-20, things went pretty smooth, at least for about 20 miles. After that, the road got steadily worse, with lots of dips and humps, but that wasn't the worst part! When we got to Jackson, the road got so bad that as I was going over one of the worst spots, I think I actually flew! There were a couple of dips and humps, and then a bridge approach, and when I hit that bridge, I'm pretty sure I was air-born!!! I mean everything inside of me flew around. Thankfully, all my cabinet doors stayed shut and nothing came tumbling out, but it was a real adventure for Jim and Linda as they opened each door, after we got here to the Askew's Landing Campground near Edwards.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about the 2 1/2 mile road that takes you to this CG. It is about 12' wide, is twisty turny, hilly, and rough! I don't think we ever got over 30 mph, and usually slower than that. But wait, I'm not done yet! The CG road (about 1/4 mile long), is gravel and in most places, only one lane! Thankfully we didn't meet anyone!!

When we finally got here at about 1:45, I had been on the road for 3 hrs and 45 minutes, (including the fuel stop), and traveled 175 miles.

As you can tell, I didn't have a real good day, but you know what? I was not sitting in a parking lot somewhere or even in a CG. I was on the road, seeing new things, discovering new places, and heading to Oregon to see Jeff!

Isn't this full-timing life-style great? :-) I'll try to be in a better mood tomorrow.

Did you know that on this date in 1902, Theodore Roosevelt became the first United States president to ride in an automobile?

Troy to Demopolis

Demopolis, AL

72 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast today = high temp. 92 deg. mostly sunny but with a 40% chance of showers and t-storms this afternoon. East winds @ 5 to 10 mph.



The trip from Troy to Demopolis went pretty well. We left Troy at 10:00, got back on US 231 and folllowed it up to just South of Montgomery where we turned West on US 80. I had been dreading the traffic in the Montgomery area, but it wasn't too bad. It was very heavy, but it kept moving. When we got to I-65, we turned South for 1 mile and then followed 80 here to the Foscue Creek Park, which is a Corps of Engineers park.

It was 1:00 pm when we pulled in, so we were on the road just 3 hours and covered 142 miles.

This is a great park, but I'll tell you more about it in a later post. I've already lost my Internet connection 3 times, and almost didn't get back on again.

The Amazing Chattahoochee and Fickle Fay

Troy, AL
71 deg. Clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 90 deg. mostly sunny with a 20% chance of afternoon rain. NE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

After a good night's rest, we left Thomasville at about 10:00 and headed West on US 84. 84 took us across the Chattahoochee River, into Alabama, and to Dothan. There, we picked up US 213 which brought us up here to Troy, and the Deer Run RV Park. We pulled into the park at 1:20 pm, so we were on the road for 3 hours and 20 minutes and traveled 160 miles.

Now, I think there must be something magical about that Chattahoochee River. An amazing thing happened as I crossed it! I got that hour back that I lost back on the 8th of August when we crossed it heading East!! Now, you'll never guess what Jim wants to do. He wants to turn the clocks back one hour! I don't think so!!! I just got that hour back and I don't want to go back in time and take the chance of loosing it again!!

Oh well, back to the Deer Run RV Park. This is a very nice park. The area we are in has some shade trees, I am parked on a level cement pad, we have full hook-ups, cable TV, and free WI-FI. There is also a pool, and a hot tub. The price is a little higher than we usually like, but in this case, it's worth it. We would definitely stop here again.

Jim got an e-mail from Dave yesterday. You remember Dave, he's one of the "Illinois Bunch" that visited me when I was up in Rantoul, IL. Well, Dave knew who said that quote, (that I quoted), a few days ago about not discovering a new ocean without loosing site of the shore. He says that the author was Andre Gide, but he didn't know anything else about him.

Hmmm, I wonder how Dave knew that?

So far, we've been having great weather and staying well ahead of tropical storm Fay. Down here in AL, the news people are calling her "Fickle Fay", because she keeps doing strange and unusual things, like picking up speed and intensity when she is over land, and in general not doing what these storms usually do.

Maybe if she would cross that amazing Chattahoochee River, it would get her back to being a normal storm. :-)

Did you know that in Lee County, Alabama, it is illegal to sell peanuts after sunset on Wednesdays?

Leaving FL and It's Following Me!

Thomasville, GA
72 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 89 deg. becoming cloudy with a 40% chance of rain. NE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

Linda's doctor appointment went well, (it was just a routine check-up), and by 9:30 she was finished and she and Jim were heading first to Walgreen's, and then back to the park, where I was patiently waiting. By 10:30, CLT was hooked behind me, and we were pulling away from our site.

The route we took up here to Thomasville and the City of Roses RV Park, was the exact reversal of the route we took as we headed down to Orange City. First, it was US 17, then Rt 40, Rt 326, US 27 and finally US 19. It was a long travel day, (for us), but we did manage to put some distance between us and the storm. We pulled into the park here at about 3:20 pm, so we were on the road for about 4 hrs and 50 minutes, and we traveled 246 miles.

Speaking of the storm. They have named it Fay, and as of now, it has not developed into a hurricane, so the weather people are calling it a tropical storm. Anyway, this storm doesn't seem to know where it is going. Actually, it's the weather people that don't know where it's going. The forecasted storm tracks are all over the place. One has it crossing over FL and ending in the Atlantic Ocean, but 2 or 3 other tracks have it coming right up through FL, and then making a left turn as it gets farther North, either taking it back into the Gulf of Mexico, or bringing it across GA, AL, and MS. If it goes back into the Gulf, it might still intensify and become a hurricane. If it stays inland, the winds will die down, but it would more than likely dump huge amounts of rain along it's path.

Great! This thing is following me!!!

So, what do we do? About the only thing we can do is start heading West and keep ahead of it. These storms don't move very fast, so as long as we keep moving for the next few days, it shouldn't be a problem. Hopefully it will die out and not follow us too far.

Did you know that the terms, hurricane and typhoon are both other names for a strong tropical cyclone?

Preparing To Leave and A Visit

Orange City, FL.
74 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.Forecast today = high temp. 90 deg. 50% chance of t-storms, SE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

I don't have too much time this morning, so today's post will be kind of short.

The plan is to leave Orange City as soon as Jim and Linda get back from Linda's doctor appointment. They will also have to stop at a Walgreens store, but that shouldn"t take long, so we should be able to get out of here before noon. Then we will basically retrace our route back up into Georgia before turning West and getting as far away from the storm track as we can.

Joe, Nancy, Sami, and Amber are still down here from Virginia Beach for Anna's wedding. They are scheduled to fly back to VA tonight, but yesterday, they found time to come out here to the CG to see me. What a treat! I sure enjoy having company. About 5:00 pm Jim and Linda took them out to dinner at a Perkins restaurant and after that, they all came back here and sat out on the patio and visited for awhile.

Well I'd better get going. I need to get ready to head North and hopefully get ahead of this hurricane. I'll be posting as often as I can.

Did you know that the average life of a hurricane is 9 days?

The Wedding and A Quote

Orange City, Fl
71 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. becoming cloudy with a 60% chance of afternoon t-storms, SW winds @ 5 mph.

Yesterday morning and afternoon were spent watching TV, washing clothes, ironing a few items, and getting ready to go to Anna and Chris's wedding. About an hour before the wedding, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to the church, which is about 10 miles North of here, in Deland.

Of course I wasn't there, but by all accounts, the wedding was great, the bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome, and all of the parents, grandparents, and friends were there to witness the happy union.

The photo below is of (from left to right), Chris, Anna, Laura, and Lindsey.
After the wedding there was a reception at the LPGA Clubhouse in Daytona Beach. Jim and Linda must have enjoyed themselves at the reception because it was almost midnight by the time they came back here to the park.

I came across this quote the other day, and I have no idea who said it, but I thought it is very timely right now. See what you think.

"We cannot discover new oceans unless we have the courage to lose site if the shore."

Anna and Chris are discovering that ocean. They are leaving everything that is familiar to them and heading into uncharted waters. What's out there for them? Only time will tell. Will they have smooth sailing? Probably most of the way. They are willing to take the risk of exploring those uncharted waters because of their love for one-another. I wish them well.

Going full-timing in an RV is kind of like that too. We leave everything behind and take off down the road to explore, (to us), uncharted roads and places we have only heard about. Will the roads be smooth? Probably not. Will there be giant pot-holes in the road? More than likely. Can we overcome those bumpy roads and pot-holes? Only if we really have a strong desire to continue on.

Don't wait for calm seas or smooth roads. There will always be waves and bumpy roads. If you really have the desire, do it, and don't look back, because the sea or the road to return, may be rougher than the one you are on.

Did you know that the reason the wedding band is worn on the 4th finger of he left hand is because the ancient Egyptians thought that the "vein of love" ran directly from this finger to the heart?

Oh, that hurricane? It's headed our way. I think we'll try to get out of here tomorrow, right after Linda's doctor appointment. If I can't post on this blog for a few days, it will because of the storm, or an area we might be in with poor cell service. Already, there seems to be a lot of traffic on the Internet down here, (I had trouble getting connected), and I expect it to get worse in the next few days.

The Big Day and A Hurricane Coming?

Orange City, FL.
72 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 88 deg, partly cloudy, with a 50% chance of afternoon showers and t-storms. SW winds @ 5 mph.

Today is the day we've been waiting for. Tonight at 7:00 pm Anna and Chris will say their vows and become husband and wife. It couldn't happen to a nicer couple, and I'm sure I'm speaking for both Jim and Linda in saying that we wish them only the best.

Jim's planning on taking a lot of photos, so I'll be sure to post a few of them here, so you can see the bride and groom.

It was pretty quiet here at the park yesterday. Laura and Anna were busy taking care of last minute things for the wedding, so Jim and Linda just hung around here and watched TV, worked on the computers, and took little naps. Then about 5:00 they decided to go to the Pier 16 Fish House for dinner. Pier 16 is one of their favorite restaurants in this area, and they wanted to make sure they went there before we leave. As usual, the food and service was very good.

I suppose most of you have heard that there may be a hurricane headed for Florida. Well, if their computer tracking forecasts are right, it will be hitting the middle of Florida Tuesday or Wednesday. Now, Jim is trying to figure out what is the best plan of action to take, to avoid the worst of it. We have to stay here until Linda sees her doctor Monday morning, but after that, we could leave. In fact, we should be able to get out of here before noon on Monday if we wanted to.

I guess we'll just have wait to see what path the storm is going to take before any real plans are made.

Did you know that the word hurricane comes from the word Huracan, the god of big winds and evil spirits that was once worshiped by the Maya people?

Wedding Presents and Olympics

Orange City, FL.
73 deg, partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 90 deg. mostly cloudy, 60% chance of showers and t-storms this afternoon, SW winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

Yesterday was "Wedding Present" day. The first thing that Jim and Linda did was to finish up the project that Linda has made. Then it was time to wrap the presents, but there was a glitch. Some of the paper that Jim and Linda had picked up from the store the other day, turned out to be the wrong kind. So, it was back to the store to get the correct paper and a few more gift cards to put on the packages. After they returned, they got the presents wrapped without any more problems.

After the presents were wrapped, Jim and Linda watched some TV, and took naps. Then, for dinner, Linda made a chicken casserole that Jim said was very good. After they finished eating, they watched the Olympics until about 1:30 AM and then went to bed.

Speaking of the Olympics, have you been watching them? Some of the events are really exciting!!

Oh, Jim also took a couple of photos of the CG here in Orange City, yesterday. This one is of CLT and me in site #475, which is fast becoming my favorite site in the park. We were also in this site this spring, and I just have that "good feeling" about it. This photo is of the park, looking down the street to my left.
Did you know that on this date in 1939, the Wizard of Oz premiered in Hollywood?

No leaks, Fridge Repair, and Back To OC

Orange City, FL.
73 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 86 deg. cloudy with a 60% chance of rain and t storms. SW winds @ 10 to 15 mph.

I found these photo's on Jim's camera. He must have taken them sometime yesterday, when I wasn't paying attention. This first one is of the sign that is out next to Rt. 33. Can you see me looking out of the door of the shop on this one?
About 7:45 yesterday morning, Lester came out and checked my new water heater for leaks, (there were none), and then started checking my refrigerator. Of course, when he checked it, everything worked properly! Isn't that always the way? He and Jim finally decided to go ahead and replace the thermocouple, because that was the most likely part to be causing the intermittent problem. While he had it apart, he also cleaned everything in there. Now, we'll just have to wait and see if the problem is solved.

Anyway, Lester put everything back together, and by 10:20, Jim had paid the bill, hooked CLT to the back of me, and we were pulling out of the parking lot. At first I thought Jim was turning me the wrong way as we pulled out of the shop, but then I found out that he had found a place for me to get a drink of good old #2 diesel fuel, when he and Linda had gone out to eat the previous night. After my drink, we headed back to I-4, turned NE on it, and followed it back here to the park in Orange City.

The road was really crowded as we passed through Orlando, so it took us a little longer to get back to the park than I thought it would. It was about 1:00pm by the time we got back here, so it took us about 2 hours and 40 minutes to travel the 82 miles, but that does include the time it took for me to get my drink.

After they rested up a little, Jim and Linda took CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed over to the Shopping Mall in Sanford. Linda needed to get something for Anna's wedding present, (of course I can't tell you what it was, because Anna may read this blog), but let's just say, Linda got what she needed and now she can finish the project. With the shopping done, they stopped at a Steak and Shake Restaurant and grabbed a burger before they came back here to the park.

Did you know that it was on this date in 1945 that Japan surrendered to the United States, ending World War II?

Hmmm! I wonder how Louise is doing?

Hot Water and Central Florida Coach Works

Lakeland, FL.
72 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 90 deg. cloudy, 30% chance of t-storms, SW winds @ 10 to 20 mph.

I have hot water!!!

We left Orange City about 9:00 yesterday morning and headed SW on I-4. I'm glad to report that the accident or whatever it was was that had I-4 closed, was all cleared up by the time we got there and we had no delays at all. We pulled into the Central Florida Coach Works lot at 10:20, so we were on the road for 1 hour and 20 minutes and traveled 79 miles.

Folks, if you're ever in need or repair or service on your RV when you're anywhere near Lakeland, FL, give Central Florida Coach Works a call at 866-984-3801, toll free. I cannot recommend them highly enough. They do excellent work, are very careful not to make any messes inside or outside of the RVs, have competitive pricing and are very friendly and willing to answer all your questions.

This is definitely a "Good Guys" place to get your RV worked on.

Within 15 minutes of arriving, Lester, (one of the head mechanics, and my favorite), backed me into one of the bays, plugged me into a 50A outlet, and started making calls to find a new water heater for me. He located one and within about another hour, he was starting to remove the old one and install the new one. By 3:00 I had the new water heater installed, and it was heating the water.

OK, now I can hear you asking, If you have the new water heater installed, why are you still there? Well, Lester wants to make sure that there are no leaks, so he wants to check it this morning, and also, he or Dave, (the other head mechanic), are going to check out my refrigerator. I don't know if I told you or not, but sometimes it quits operating, when it is running on propane, so Jim is going to have it serviced. Lester didn't want to start working on it so late in the day, so he pulled me out of the bay and parked me in the fenced-in lot next to the building. I am parked on the blacktop section of the lot, plugged into a 50A outlet, and there is water available if I need it. I had a very comfortable night.

About 6:00 pm, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed into Polk City and went to the Country Angels Restaurant. Just about every time we're here in Lakeland, Jim and Linda go there. It's a little place, but they have great home-cooked food at a reasonable price. Linda had pot roast, and Jim had flounder.

After they got back here, they watched the Olympics, until after midnight, and then went to bed.

About 8:00 this morning, I expect Lester or Dave to come out here to do a final check of the water heater for leaks, and start working on my refrigerator. I don't know just how long that will take, but barring any unforeseen problems, I should be back in Orange City by tonight.

Did you know that on this date in 1942, Disney's Bambi opened at Radio City Music Hall, in New York City?

Test, Breakfast, Dinner, and A Closed Road

Orange City, FL.
73 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 88 deg. becoming cloudy with a 70% chance of rain, W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

Not a real lot happened yesterday. Jim and Lind left early to get Linda's blood test taken care of. After that, they went to a Perkins restaurant for breakfast, went to the UPS store and sent off a baby gift for Aaron's new baby, and then came back here and relaxed. Then, in the afternoon, Jim called Mike, up in NC, and talked to him for awhile. He told Jim that baby Dillon has been having problems with his ears, so they had taken him in to have those little tubes put into his ears. Other than that, everyone else up there seemed to be fine.

Jim really enjoys talking to Mike and Jeff, I don't know why they don't talk more often.

Soon after Jim got off the phone with Mike, Lindsey called and asked Linda if she and Jim would like to come over to their house for a spaghetti dinner that Laura was making. So, a little after 5:00 pm, Jim and Linda took CLT, stopped by the Win-Dixie grocery store to pick up a loaf of french bread, and headed to Laura and Lindsey's for a great meal. After dinner, Linda helped Laura correct a little problem with the wedding reception seating arrangement. I didn't really find out what was wrong, but it had something to do with the number of people coming, and the number of places at the tables.

Anyway, they got it figured out.

About 8:30 CLT brought Jim and Linda back here where they watched the Olympics on TV for awhile, and then went to bed.

Well, I had better wrap this up for now. I have to get ready to head down to Lakeland, FL this morning, to get my water heater replaced. I'm not looking forward to the trip down there. On the News they are saying that there is an accident or something just South of Orlando, and they have I-4 completely blocked off! Hopefully, they will get everything cleared up by the time we get there.

Did you know that on this date in 1851, Issac Singer patented the sewing machine?

Lots Of Company, The Test and The Mechanic

Orange City, FL.
70 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 92 deg, partly cloudy, 30% chance of afternoon t-storms, W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

I had company yesterday! Not long after lunch, Laura stopped by to see me, (and of course Linda and Jim also), and then Anna and Chris came over too! Everyone was talking about the wedding and filling Jim and Linda in on the details of the upcoming event. From what I could catch of the conversation, it sounds like it's going to be really nice.

After they left, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to the CVS drug store to pick up a few things, then they went to the Publix grocery store and picked up some much-needed items there. By the time they returned, it was dinner time, so Linda cooked some TV dinners, (that they had just bought) in my Microwave oven.

Not long after they finished eating, Ashley called and said that she would like to stop by for awhile, and also bring Jim and Linda's mail that has been sent to Laura's these last couple of weeks. Ashley was also talking about the wedding, but she also told Jim and Linda all about her new Boyfriend. It sounds like he's a real nice guy. I'll try to find out more about him after Jim and Linda meet him at the wedding.

Whew!! I haven't had that much company in a long time!!! It sure was good to see all of them again!!!

This morning, Jim will have to wake Linda up "at the crack of dawn", so they can go and get her blood test for her doctor's appointment next Monday. It's one of those test where you can't eat anything before they take the blood sample.

Guess what I have to do tomorrow? A-Hah! I thought you had forgotten! If you remember, my water heater started leaking way back when we were in Rantoul. Well, Jim and Linda have been heating water on my stove, washing with cold water, and taking showers in bath houses ever since. Well, tomorrow is the day I have to go to the "Mechanic" to get it replaced. Now, usually I get all upset about going to see the mechanic, but this time I know that he is only going to be working on my water heater, and not messing around with my vital parts.

That's a big difference!

Did you know that in Florida, there is a law that states that if you leave your elephant tied to a parking meter, you have to pay the parking fee, just as you would for a vehicle?

Catching Up and Arrival At Orange City

Orange City, FL.
72 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 94 deg. partly cloudy, W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

It wasn't 2 minutes after I posted yesterday, that I lost the Internet connection, and couldn't get it back. I guess I was lucky that I got anything at all posted. We've had that problem before, around Old Town, and I guess AT+T just doesn't have any towers in that area.

Anyway, The Original Suwannee River RV Park is kind of neat. There's lots of trees with Spanish moss hanging from them, and there is a canal, from the river that runs right along side of the park. Our site was right next to this canal, and we had a nice view of the water. Like I said, neat.

We left Old Town just before 10:00 AM yesterday morning and continued South on US 19 until we got to Chiefland, where we turned SE on Alt. 27. A little ways past Williston, we turned off on Rt. 326 and took it around the North side of Ocalla. 326 curves around to the South and ends when it gets to Rt. 40. Heading East on 40 brought us to Barberville, and US 17, where we turned South and followed it down here to Orange City, and the Orange City RV Resort. We pulled into the park just before 12:30, so we were on the road for about 2 1/2 hours and traveled 129 miles.

Those of you who have been following my travels since I started this blog thing, know that this is the park where we spend a lot of our time during the winters. It's close to Laura and Lindsey's, (about 15 minutes), they offer the Passport America rate during the summer, a fairly good monthly rate in the winter, the people in the office know Jim and Linda well, and it just kind of feels comfortable. We will be centrally located here for all of Anna's wedding activities next Saturday. Their house is about 15 minutes SW of here, the church is about 20 minutes NW of here, and the reception is about a half an hour to the East.

Did you know that today is S'mores Day? All of you out there that have a camp fire going, have one for me!! :-)

GA to FL

Old Town, FL.
74 deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 92 deg. partly cloudy, W. winds @ 10 mph.

I'm going to make this real short this morning because I have a very weak Internet connection. I'm not even sure I will get this posted.

We left Thomasville about 10:15 yesterday morning and continued S. on US 19 into Florida. By 12:30 we were pulling into the Original Suwannee River Campground, here in Old Town. We were on the road for only about 2 hrs and 15 minutes and traveled 125 miles.

I'll tell you all about this park when I get a better connection.

Today, we will get to Orange City, where I will stay until after Anna's wedding.

Did you know that today is National Garage Sale Day?

Has anyone found that hour that I lost? I still can't find it!!!

It's Gone and Entering Georgia

Thomasville, GA
72 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 90 deg. mostly cloudy, 60% chance of rain, W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

I've lost it! What have I lost, you ask? I've lost an hour of time!!!

It all happened just a little after we left Opelika. We continued SE on US 280 until we came to US 80. We turned NE on 80, and when we crossed the Chattahoochee River and crossed into Georgia, it happened! Jut like that, the hour was gone! Well, there wasn't anything I could do about it while we were traveling, so I continued on 80 for a few miles until we came to I-185, where we turned South and followed it back down to US 280. This effectively took us around all of the Columbus traffic, and really worked out well.

Once back on 280 we continued following it until it turned East at Richmond. Then we followed Rt.520, and US 82 to Albany, where we turned South on US 19. 19 brought us down here to Thomasville, and the City of Roses RV Park.

This is an OK park. It's a Passport America Park, so we're staying here for 1/2 price. I'm on a large pull-thru site with full hook-ups and 50A electric. The only real problem with this park is that there are a lot of permanent RVs here, and some of them are looking really shabby. When we pulled into the Park, we had been on the road for 3 hrs and 15 minutes, and we covered 168 miles.

Now, back to my lost hour! Jim says that we need to turn our clocks ahead 1 hour, but I think that we need to turn them back 1 hour to try to get that hour back. You see, if we lost it, wouldn't it make sense to turn the clocks backwards to go back to when you lost it, to get it back?

Oh me!!! I'll never get this straight!

Did you know that Albertville, AL is the fire hydrant capitol of the world?

Cullman to Opelika and The Return To A RV Park

Opelika, AL
72 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 91 deg. Sunny this morning becoming cloudy this afternoon with scattered t-storms. W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

We left Cullman about 9:45 and continued S. on I-65. Just North of Birmingham, we pulled into a Flying J Truck Stop where Jim gave me another drink of #2 diesel fuel. It sure is good to see the price dropping on gasoline and diesel. At this station, the diesel was $4.31 per gallon, which is much better than the almost $5 per gallon up in IL earlier this year.

After my drink, we continued S. on 65 until we came to I-459, (which is S of Birmingham), and took it NE for about 4 miles and then turned SE on US 280. By doing this, we were able to miss most of the city traffic and all of the stop lights that are on 280 as it goes through the city. Even though we missed most of the city traffic, there was a lot of traffic and congestion when we first turned off in 280. Once we cleared that, it was clear sailing with good roads all the way down here to Opelika, and the Lakeside RV Park, which is actually about 4 miles South of Opelika on 280. It was 1:30 pm when we got here, so we were on the road for about 3 hrs and 45 minutes, (including the fuel stop), and covered 179 miles.

After we got here, I found out that Jim and Linda had been here before. It was way back in 2001, and they had just begun to full-time. In fact, they were taking some of their "stuff" down to Laura's in a U-Haul trailer, which they were towing behind their MH. Well, at that time, this park was brand new, in fact the owner had a bulldozer and was in the process of leveling the areas for the sites. There were only about 10 sites available at that time. While they were here, the owner offered Jim a job, working here at the CG and helping him build more sites.

At that time, the place was not well maintained, and there was stuff setting everywhere, but that was to be expected when building a park. Well, I'm sorry to say that this park is still not well maintained and it looks like some of that same stuff is still setting around. It's too bad, the owners seem to be really nice and this could be a really nice park, but I doubt if it ever will be more than just an OK place to spend the night.

After we were here for awhile, a pretty strong t-storm came through the area. After it had passed, Jim and Linda decided that they needed a few groceries, and they also decided to grab a sandwich as long as they were out and about. They ended up at a Burger King for the sandwich and just stopped at a convenience store for the groceries. When they got back, they watched some TV, and then went to bed, after the news.

Did you know that today is National Cool-Aid Day?

Through TN and Into AL

Cullman, AL
72 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 98 deg. slight chance of t-storms this afternoon, W. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

We left Clarksville at 9:30 yesterday morning and continued SE on I-24. When 24 joined up with I-65 just North of Nashville we followed 65 through the city, and down here to Cullman, AL. The only part of the trip that slowed me down, was the part through Nashville, and even that, wasn't too bad. For the most part, the roads were good, we made good time, and by 1:00 we were pulling into the Cullman RV Park, near Cullman, AL.

We traveled 191 miles and were on the road for 3 1/2 hours.

The Cullman RV Park is not real easy to get to. It's not that far off of the Interstate, but the road getting here is about 1 1/2 lanes wide, and it goes around and over a bunch of hills, and has dips and humps. Definitely a road to go very slow on. The park is pretty nice. Even though it is in a hilly area, most of the sites appear to be pretty level with full hook-ups. Some areas are shaded, but there are open areas too. Some of the corners in the park are quite sharp for large RV's, but the lady that checked us in did a good job of leading me to my site, with her golf cart.

The weather has remained very hot, and by the forecast, it's going to stay that way for the foreseeable future. It's supposed to cool off a little in this area, but by the time it does, we'll be further South where it's still hot.

Did you know that on this date in 1945 the first atomic bomb used in warfare was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan?

A Drink of #2, A Hot Day, and A Rough Road

Clarksville, TN.
72 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 97 deg. partly cloudy, SW winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

We didn't get away from the CG in Effingham as early as Jim would have liked, because he had to do a little research before we left. You see, the last drink of good old #2 diesel that I had was way back in Rantoul, IL, before we headed up to Wisconsin for the family reunion, and I was getting thirsty! Well, Jim found out that they had diesel pumps at the Effingham Wally World, (at the lowest price in town), but there was a question if there was enough room to get in and out of the pumps with a 40' MH, pulling a "toad" (Towed Vehicle). So, Jim took off in CLT to check it out. He came back with good news. There was plenty of room. Well, it was 10:00 before we left the CG, then we had to drive over to Wally World, fuel me up with almost 75 gallons of #2, and then finally get out on the road about 10:30.

By the time we left the station, it was already getting hot, so Jim started my generator and turned on my AC units. We returned to I-57, took it down to Southern IL. where we turned SE on I-24, followed it through Kentucky, and to the Clarksville RV Park here in Clarksville, TN. We were on the road for almost 5 hours, (including the fuel stop), and we traveled 253 miles.

A long travel day for us.

Oh, if any of you are planning on taking I-24 eastbound through KY, be forewarned. There is a section of road about 25 or 30 miles long that is in horrible condition! There was one place where there were 2 or 3 large dips close together, and I thought that I was going to get launched into the air! The rest of the section is breaking up with many holes and bumps.

The Clarksville RV Park is nice, but in my opinion, over priced. Even with Jim's Good Sam discount, (10%), we are paying over $30 for a site with just water and electric. When we got here at 2:00 pm, my thermometers said that it was 97 degrees outside, so Jim just hooked me up to the electric, and didn't bother with the water connection, since I had plenty of fresh water in my tank.

Today is supposed to be really hot too, but I guess I'd better get used to it. After all, we are heading down to FL in August!

Did you know that on this date in 1962 Marilyn Monroe died?

Waiting Out A T-storm and a Familiar RV Park

Effingham, IL
70 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 95 deg. Sunny, S. winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

Yesterday morning, we had a t-storm go through the Northern Il area. It wasn't forecast the night before, but about 7:30 I could hear thunder in the distance, and when Jim checked the radar on this computer, there it was, a big green, yellow, and red blob on the screen, and it was heading right towards us. Jim decided that he had better get the outside things done before the storm hit, so he went out and unhooked me from the utilities, checked the tow bar, and checked everything else that he checks to get me ready to go. In the meantime, Linda got up and started getting the inside of me ready to travel.

Well, after watching the radar, Jim and Linda determined that it would be better to wait out the storm, rather than driving right into the main part if it, which was now appearing to be heading just South of us. So, everything went from a "hurry up mode" to a "lets wait this one out mode". After the storm passed, (it wasn't too severe in the Utica area), we waited for about 1/2 hour and then left the CG at about 9:45.

We got back on I-39, followed it South to Bloomington. There, we picked up I-74 which took us SE to Champaign, where we turned back South on I-57. Just before Champaign, we stopped at a rest area for about 20 minutes, as we were beginning to catch up with the t-storm. 57 then brought us down here to Effingham and the Camp Lakewood RV Park.

When we got here, it was about 1:30, so we were on the road for about 3 hours and 45 minutes and traveled 194 miles.

This RV park is very familiar to Jim and Linda. Years ago, they used to come down here on weekends with their previous RVs. It has new owners since then, but is still very nice with lots of big old trees and an nice little lake. The new owners are very friendly and eager to please their customers. The one thing that I don't like is the road that you have to take to get here. The road is nicely paved, but it is narrow, it has lots of humps and dips, and it makes me sway from side to side.

Jim took it real slow though, so it wasn't too bad.

Oh, by the way, we never did catch up to that t-storm. It stayed ahead of us all the way down here to Effingham. :-)

Did you know that today is National Chocolate Chip Day?

Back to Utica, Daniel Boone, and Plan B

Utica, IL.
60 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 86deg. partly cloudy, SE winds @ 10 mph.

After dumping my tanks, we left the Country Roads RV Park about 9:45. We reversed the route we took going up to the Dells area by taking I-90 and then I-39 back down here to Utica. The traffic in the construction zone near Rockford was much lighter than it was on the way North, so we zipped right through that area with only minor delays.

We arrived here at the Hickory Hollow CG just a few minutes after 1:00 PM, so we were on the road for about 3 hrs and 15 minutes, and covered 163 miles.

The CG here is full. It's a good thing that Jim reserved a site for me when we were here on the 23rd of August. This CG is just close enough to the Chicago area that it really fills up with week-end campers.

Speaking of week-end campers, we've got a guy next to us that thinks he's Daniel Boone. He's got all kinds of gadgets hanging from his belt, he's got all the accessories that you could think of, sitting around his RV, and when he decided to build a campfire, he was our there with an axe trying to split wood. I thought he was going to chop off his foot, and he never did get a good fire going!!!

Oh well, I think he did impress his wife with his chopping skills. ;-)

Jim has been using that big eraser again. He and Linda have decided that some of our travel days were going to be too long, so now, instead of it taking us 7 days to get down to FL, it will take us 8. There was also another reason to change the plans. The way it was, we would be staying a a few parks that only have 30Amp electrical service. Now normally that wouldn't matter, but the weather forecast for the Southeastern part of the country for the next week is calling for temperatures in the mid to upper 90's. For temps like that, I'll need to run both of my air conditioners to keep everything cool. Well, for that to happen, I need 50 Amp service, so Jim had to make sure that Campgrounds with 50 Amp were available to me when we stop for the nights.

Thus, plan B!

Did you know that on this date in 1949, the National Basketball Association was formed?

Saying Good-bye and Heading South

Lake Delton, WI.
59 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. clear, NE winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

Yesterday morning was kind of sad for Jim and Linda. Everyone that was staying at the lodge had to check out by 10:00 AM, so the plan was to meet at Howie's Restaurant at about that time. Howie's is a restaurant that has been around for years and years, they're known for their great breakfasts, they're only open for breakfast and lunch, and then close about 2:00 PM. It has become kind of a tradition for the whole family to get together one last time there, before heading home.

After they finished eating everyone went outside and then, there were the hugs, handshakes, and kisses before they all got into their vehicles and headed for home. Jim and Linda will more than likely not see most of them again until the next reunion.

Like I said, Kind of a sad time.

After they left the restaurant, Jim and Linda came back here to the RV Park and just relaxed for awhile. Then, about 3:00 they took CLT and headed into the Dells to try to find some moccasins for Linda. They were successful, and bought 2 pairs. On the way back here to the park, they stopped and bought a few groceries.

Today, we'll start heading back towards Florida. Anna's wedding will be on the 16th, but I need to get Linda down there about a week before that, so she will have time get a blood test and get the results before going to her doctor on the Monday after the wedding. I actually have 9 days to get her down there, but I think we're going to try to make it in 7 so that Jim and Linda will have more time to visit with Laura, and of course, help with the preparation of the wedding in any way that they can.

Did you know that on this date in 1876 Wild Bill Hickok was murdered in Deadwood, S.D.?

The Reunion, Day 7

Lake Delton, WI
65 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 87 deg. mostly sunny, NW winds @ 5 to 10 mph.

Jim didn't feel very well yesterday. He started the morning with a stomach ache and continued with an upset stomach throughout the day. He never really got sick or anything, but he said he sure didn't feel like eating anything. In fact, the only real food he ate was at dinner time when the whole family went to a place near the lodge called Monk's. Even then, he made sure he didn't over eat or eat anything spicy.

About 10:30 he took Linda over to the lodge, hung around for an hour or so, and then came back here to the CG and relaxed and slept for awhile. After he woke up, he seemed to feel better and then about 4:00 he headed back to the lodge.

After he parked CLT in the lot, he took these photos of the lodge that they are staying at. This one is called Glacier Canyon, and there are 3 or 4 more lodges like this one, and 6 or 7 water parks in the complex. Folks, CLT says that this place is huge!
This place is part of one of those time-share programs, and Victoria, (one of David's nurses) has ownership in the plan.

While Jim was here at the park, Linda spent the time visiting with her brother and sister, doing crossword puzzles, playing games, and in general just enjoying time with her family.

About 9:00pm CLT brought Jim and Linda back here to the park. They watched the news and then went to bed. It seemed like Jim was feeling pretty good by the time they got back here.

Oh, Jim and Linda talked to Louise yesterday. She and Roland had been back to Atlanta to see the bone doctor, and he said that everything seems to be healing up well. She still will not be able to put any weight on her leg until at least the end of August. All in all, is sounded like things were going as well as could be expected, and Louise seemed to be in good spirits.

Did you know that on this date in 1790 the first U.S. census was completed showing a population of 3,929,214 people?