Rantoul, IL.
67 deg. cloudy, no wind, thunder in the distance.
Forecast today = Mostly cloudy. A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning. Not as warm. Highs in the upper 70s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
Not a whole lot to write about this morning. Jim and Linda have been continuing to go through cabinets, drawers and closets to sort and get rid of unnecessary items before getting the new MH.
So when am I going to meet the Newmar? Well, now the salesman is saying that it will be ready Tuesday. Jim and Linda were originally told that it would be ready in 2 weeks, which would have been yesterday. :-(
Shirley and Paul stopped by for awhile yesterday. It's too bad that Jim and Linda are in the middle of this moving thing as they would have liked to spend more time with them. They were only going to stay here for one night but weather conditions and storm damage in the area that they are going to kept them from traveling yesterday. This morning they should be leaving pretty early so they can get to their next destination near Rockford, IL, before it gets too late.
We wish them safe travels and Jim and Linda are looking forward to meeting up with them again. :-)
Don't really know what's happening today. Jim's going to try to get hold of Nathan to see if he's heard anything about the microwave/convection oven parts. And, it looks like Jim and Linda will have to pick up a few groceries because they're out of a few necessities.
Did you know that June is "National Bathroom Reading Month"?
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
A Knock On The Door and Plan "E"
Rantoul, IL.
69 Deg. clear, SE wind @ 9 mph.
Forecast today = Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
Jim was outside digging around in my basement by about 7:30 yesterday morning. He had a couple more totes that he wanted to go through before it got too hot. These 2 totes had all kinds of things in them from a new electrical outlet to replacement screening for the windows and door to spare parts for me.
The first thing he did was to put all of the parts for me into a box and put them back into the basement to send with me when I go to the dealer. Then he started sorting out the junk that was in there and by the time he was done, he had those 2 totes condensed down to 1. :-)
Just before lunch, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to Wally World to pick up a new mattress cover and some new sheets for the bed. The old ones were getting really bad and they wanted to have new ones when they moved their sleep number mattress to the Newmar.
In the afternoon, Linda went through all her clothes and sorted and packed some of them in boxes while Jim rested and caught up on blogs. After Linda was done with her clothes, they both took little naps. :-)
About 5:00 they were trying to decide what they wanted to do for dinner. While they were talking, there was a knock on my door. When Jim checked, he found that it was Shirley whose bog, Our Second Childhood we've been following for some time now. She and her husband, Paul, follow this blog and knew we were here, so they decided to stop off at Prairie Pines Campground for the night and say "Hi". ;-)
What a great surprise it was having Shirley stop by. Jim, Linda and I have been so wrapped up in this trading/moving thing that it was really good to have someone come and visit for awhile. Just like with so many RVers that we meet, it was like talking to an old friend as soon as they met.
Thanks for stopping by Shirley and Paul. Safe travels, wherever the road takes you. :-)
Oh, and Jim and Linda's dinner? Well, they just went to Arby's an had a sandwich.
Do you remember when I told you that Jim packed away his big eraser the other day? Well, It's a good thing that he found that little one because he's been making changes to the travel plans again. ;-) Yep, he got out that pencil and with the little eraser yesterday afternoon and is now working on plan "E"!
"What's plan "E"? you ask. Well plan "D" was to leave here on our about the 22nd, head to Sioux Falls and then head to the family reunion in Wisconsin. Plan "E" has them leaving here right after the 4th of July and heading to the reunion up at the Wisconsin Dells and then heading to Sioux Falls from there. They'll be leaving the reunion on the 15th of July and don't absolutely have to be in Sioux Falls until the 22nd.
Why the 22nd? Well, that's Linda's birthday and she needs to get her drivers license renewed before that date.
Plan "E" will also give them much more time to get everything organized in the Newmar before leaving here. It should take some of the pressure off, that especially Jim is feeling, and that's a good thing. Right?
Don't know what the weather is going to do today. There's some real purdy colors on the radar North of here but the weather guy on TV is saying that he doesn't expect those storms to get here until sometime tomorrow.
Jim and Linda can't do too much more packing into boxes or they won't be able to move around in me. There are a few cabinets that need to be checked out though because there's probably some stuff in them that needs to be thrown away.
Also, today Jim and Linda will be contacting the RV dealer again to see what the status is on the Newmar. And maybe, just maybe, Nathan will get the parts for the oven and bring it back and install it.
A Point to Ponder : Why is there not a Channel 1 on TV?
69 Deg. clear, SE wind @ 9 mph.
Forecast today = Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
Jim was outside digging around in my basement by about 7:30 yesterday morning. He had a couple more totes that he wanted to go through before it got too hot. These 2 totes had all kinds of things in them from a new electrical outlet to replacement screening for the windows and door to spare parts for me.
The first thing he did was to put all of the parts for me into a box and put them back into the basement to send with me when I go to the dealer. Then he started sorting out the junk that was in there and by the time he was done, he had those 2 totes condensed down to 1. :-)
Just before lunch, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to Wally World to pick up a new mattress cover and some new sheets for the bed. The old ones were getting really bad and they wanted to have new ones when they moved their sleep number mattress to the Newmar.
In the afternoon, Linda went through all her clothes and sorted and packed some of them in boxes while Jim rested and caught up on blogs. After Linda was done with her clothes, they both took little naps. :-)
About 5:00 they were trying to decide what they wanted to do for dinner. While they were talking, there was a knock on my door. When Jim checked, he found that it was Shirley whose bog, Our Second Childhood we've been following for some time now. She and her husband, Paul, follow this blog and knew we were here, so they decided to stop off at Prairie Pines Campground for the night and say "Hi". ;-)
What a great surprise it was having Shirley stop by. Jim, Linda and I have been so wrapped up in this trading/moving thing that it was really good to have someone come and visit for awhile. Just like with so many RVers that we meet, it was like talking to an old friend as soon as they met.
Thanks for stopping by Shirley and Paul. Safe travels, wherever the road takes you. :-)
Oh, and Jim and Linda's dinner? Well, they just went to Arby's an had a sandwich.
Do you remember when I told you that Jim packed away his big eraser the other day? Well, It's a good thing that he found that little one because he's been making changes to the travel plans again. ;-) Yep, he got out that pencil and with the little eraser yesterday afternoon and is now working on plan "E"!
"What's plan "E"? you ask. Well plan "D" was to leave here on our about the 22nd, head to Sioux Falls and then head to the family reunion in Wisconsin. Plan "E" has them leaving here right after the 4th of July and heading to the reunion up at the Wisconsin Dells and then heading to Sioux Falls from there. They'll be leaving the reunion on the 15th of July and don't absolutely have to be in Sioux Falls until the 22nd.
Why the 22nd? Well, that's Linda's birthday and she needs to get her drivers license renewed before that date.
Plan "E" will also give them much more time to get everything organized in the Newmar before leaving here. It should take some of the pressure off, that especially Jim is feeling, and that's a good thing. Right?
Don't know what the weather is going to do today. There's some real purdy colors on the radar North of here but the weather guy on TV is saying that he doesn't expect those storms to get here until sometime tomorrow.
Jim and Linda can't do too much more packing into boxes or they won't be able to move around in me. There are a few cabinets that need to be checked out though because there's probably some stuff in them that needs to be thrown away.
Also, today Jim and Linda will be contacting the RV dealer again to see what the status is on the Newmar. And maybe, just maybe, Nathan will get the parts for the oven and bring it back and install it.
A Point to Ponder : Why is there not a Channel 1 on TV?
Monday, June 6, 2011
Why Did We Think Trading Motor Homes Was A Good Idea?
Rantoul, IL.
68 Deg mostly cloudy, SE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 90s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
Jim and Linda have been asking themselves,"Why did we think that trading Motor Homes was a good idea?" The last few days have been pretty much non stop work for both of them and to be honest, they're not used to doing much manual work any more.
Today, there was more packing of boxes and bags. Then after lunch, Jim drug a bunch of the tote boxes out of my basement and went over to tell Louise and Paul that when they had time, he was ready to move a bunch of boxes, totes and bags to the storage area over at the bathhouse. Well, they weren't busy right at that time so they said that they could help right away.
Paul's son Mark was visiting Paul and Louise and so he jumped on the ATV and took it over to where the little utility trailer was parked so Jim could hook it up to the ATV. They had to make 2 trips to the bathhouse to get all the stuff over there, but it didn't take too long with Paul and Mark helping Jim load and unload the trailer.
It sure was good of them to help Jim and Linda. By storing a lot of the stuff over there, they won't have to try to get everything packed into the Newmar over at the dealer's.lot and will be able to take their time doing it when they come back here.
Jim didn't get to see most of the NASCAR race but he said that this was more important. He did however get to see the last few laps.
When he got back here, he and Linda kind of just collapsed. Jim was pretty much worn out from working in the hot and humid weather and Linda from working on sorting things and moving boxes and bags the whole day. Then after resting for awhile Linda made a light meal,
Oh, and then after dinner, Jim took a little nap. :-)
About 8:30, Linda said that she had a taste for some ice cream so they took CLT and headed over to the Dairy Queen. It must have "hit the spot" because they were both smiling when they returned. ;-)
Did you know that on this day in 1933, eager motorists parked their automobiles on the grounds of Park-In Theaters, the first-ever drive-in movie theater, located on Crescent Boulevard in Camden, New Jersey?
Do you remember the Drive-ins? ;-)
68 Deg mostly cloudy, SE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 90s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.
Jim and Linda have been asking themselves,"Why did we think that trading Motor Homes was a good idea?" The last few days have been pretty much non stop work for both of them and to be honest, they're not used to doing much manual work any more.
Today, there was more packing of boxes and bags. Then after lunch, Jim drug a bunch of the tote boxes out of my basement and went over to tell Louise and Paul that when they had time, he was ready to move a bunch of boxes, totes and bags to the storage area over at the bathhouse. Well, they weren't busy right at that time so they said that they could help right away.
Paul's son Mark was visiting Paul and Louise and so he jumped on the ATV and took it over to where the little utility trailer was parked so Jim could hook it up to the ATV. They had to make 2 trips to the bathhouse to get all the stuff over there, but it didn't take too long with Paul and Mark helping Jim load and unload the trailer.
It sure was good of them to help Jim and Linda. By storing a lot of the stuff over there, they won't have to try to get everything packed into the Newmar over at the dealer's.lot and will be able to take their time doing it when they come back here.
Jim didn't get to see most of the NASCAR race but he said that this was more important. He did however get to see the last few laps.
When he got back here, he and Linda kind of just collapsed. Jim was pretty much worn out from working in the hot and humid weather and Linda from working on sorting things and moving boxes and bags the whole day. Then after resting for awhile Linda made a light meal,
Oh, and then after dinner, Jim took a little nap. :-)
About 8:30, Linda said that she had a taste for some ice cream so they took CLT and headed over to the Dairy Queen. It must have "hit the spot" because they were both smiling when they returned. ;-)
Did you know that on this day in 1933, eager motorists parked their automobiles on the grounds of Park-In Theaters, the first-ever drive-in movie theater, located on Crescent Boulevard in Camden, New Jersey?
Do you remember the Drive-ins? ;-)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
A Busy, Busy Day and A Surprise Visit
Rantoul, IL.
70 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s. Light north winds.
I didn't think much was going to get done yesterday. Jim didn't do much at all in the morning, in fact he didn't even go outside until about 9:30, and by that time, it was already starting to get pretty hot and muggy.
Evidently he decided to dump my tanks because that's what he did first and then did a little sorting in one of my basement compartments. Abut the time he was done with that, Louise, (the campground hostess), came by and they talked for a few minutes.
While they were talking, Jim mentioned that he was kind of dreading moving everything from me into the Newmar MH and said he figured it would take 2 or 3 days at least for he and Linda to do it. Well, Louise suggested that Jim go get some boxes and put a bunch of the stuff that's inside of me, into the boxes and then put the boxes in the storage area over at the bath house. That way, there won't be so much stuff to move over at the dealer's lot, and then when they get back here with the Newmar, they can take their time packing the rest of the stuff into the compartments and cabinets.
Wow!!! What a great idea!! The stuff that will be stored here will be safe, (locked up in the storage area), and it won't take so long over at the dealer's lot!!!
So , , , , , Jim took CLT and headed into town to find some boxes. His first stop was a liquor store. The reasoning was that those boxes are built more sturdy than regular cardboard boxes because they have to be stronger for the bottles. He got 5 boxes there and then went to the Auto Zone store where he picked up 5 or 6 more boxes that were used for oil and other merchandise.
When he got back, he and Linda went to work pulling stuff out of cabinets and packing it in the boxes. By the time most of the boxes were full, about 1/2 of my cabinets were empty. Now, don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of stuff to move, but it should be much easier that if would have been.
So, I have boxes sitting everywhere. Today, Jim will get hold of Louise and get her to unlock the storage area so he can put the boxes and a bunch of the totes from my basement in there.
Soon after lunch, the phone rang and it was Dave and Dee Dee. (Part of the Illinois Bunch), They were up in Kankakee and would be passing Rantoul on I-57 on their way to their home home in Neoga, IL. and wanted to know if it would be OK if they stopped by for a little while to visit. Well, of course Jim said that it would be great if they'd stop by, so in about an hour, they pulled up in front of my site and came in to visit for about an hour. :-)
I'm sure most of my regular readers will remember Dave and Dee Dee. They're the ones that put on the great fish fry when we're all down in Thonotosassa, FL during the winter.
Well anyway, Jim and Linda had moved a few boxes around so that there was seating for everyone, so they all sat and talked for about an hour. Part of the discussion was about what everyone has been doing since they had last seen each other, part about the Newmar and part about possible plans for Dave, Dee Dee and the rest of the Illinois bunch, (Denny and Bev and Gordy and Dorthy), to come here to the park sometime in August or early September.
After they left, Jim and Linda continued packing boxes and then about 4:00, they decided that they had done enough for the day and decided to relax. After a light dinner, Jim went out and rolled up all my awnings and put all the outside stuff away as the forecast was for possible severe t-storms.
We didn't have any severe weather right here, but did have some wind, lightning and rain. There were some reports of very strong winds not too far from here though.
Today Jim wants to get those boxes and totes moved to the storage area. Then, he's hoping that he can relax for awhile and watch the NASCAR race on TV as it'll be the last one that he'll see for awhile since they're switching over to broadcasting the races on cable channels after this one.
Like I said in the Title of this post, it was a busy, busy day, but a lot got accomplished and both Jim and Linda feel good about the progress.
A Point to Ponder : What does the T in T-Shirt really mean?
70 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s. Light north winds.
I didn't think much was going to get done yesterday. Jim didn't do much at all in the morning, in fact he didn't even go outside until about 9:30, and by that time, it was already starting to get pretty hot and muggy.
Evidently he decided to dump my tanks because that's what he did first and then did a little sorting in one of my basement compartments. Abut the time he was done with that, Louise, (the campground hostess), came by and they talked for a few minutes.
While they were talking, Jim mentioned that he was kind of dreading moving everything from me into the Newmar MH and said he figured it would take 2 or 3 days at least for he and Linda to do it. Well, Louise suggested that Jim go get some boxes and put a bunch of the stuff that's inside of me, into the boxes and then put the boxes in the storage area over at the bath house. That way, there won't be so much stuff to move over at the dealer's lot, and then when they get back here with the Newmar, they can take their time packing the rest of the stuff into the compartments and cabinets.
Wow!!! What a great idea!! The stuff that will be stored here will be safe, (locked up in the storage area), and it won't take so long over at the dealer's lot!!!
So , , , , , Jim took CLT and headed into town to find some boxes. His first stop was a liquor store. The reasoning was that those boxes are built more sturdy than regular cardboard boxes because they have to be stronger for the bottles. He got 5 boxes there and then went to the Auto Zone store where he picked up 5 or 6 more boxes that were used for oil and other merchandise.
When he got back, he and Linda went to work pulling stuff out of cabinets and packing it in the boxes. By the time most of the boxes were full, about 1/2 of my cabinets were empty. Now, don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of stuff to move, but it should be much easier that if would have been.
So, I have boxes sitting everywhere. Today, Jim will get hold of Louise and get her to unlock the storage area so he can put the boxes and a bunch of the totes from my basement in there.
Soon after lunch, the phone rang and it was Dave and Dee Dee. (Part of the Illinois Bunch), They were up in Kankakee and would be passing Rantoul on I-57 on their way to their home home in Neoga, IL. and wanted to know if it would be OK if they stopped by for a little while to visit. Well, of course Jim said that it would be great if they'd stop by, so in about an hour, they pulled up in front of my site and came in to visit for about an hour. :-)
I'm sure most of my regular readers will remember Dave and Dee Dee. They're the ones that put on the great fish fry when we're all down in Thonotosassa, FL during the winter.
Well anyway, Jim and Linda had moved a few boxes around so that there was seating for everyone, so they all sat and talked for about an hour. Part of the discussion was about what everyone has been doing since they had last seen each other, part about the Newmar and part about possible plans for Dave, Dee Dee and the rest of the Illinois bunch, (Denny and Bev and Gordy and Dorthy), to come here to the park sometime in August or early September.
After they left, Jim and Linda continued packing boxes and then about 4:00, they decided that they had done enough for the day and decided to relax. After a light dinner, Jim went out and rolled up all my awnings and put all the outside stuff away as the forecast was for possible severe t-storms.
We didn't have any severe weather right here, but did have some wind, lightning and rain. There were some reports of very strong winds not too far from here though.
Today Jim wants to get those boxes and totes moved to the storage area. Then, he's hoping that he can relax for awhile and watch the NASCAR race on TV as it'll be the last one that he'll see for awhile since they're switching over to broadcasting the races on cable channels after this one.
Like I said in the Title of this post, it was a busy, busy day, but a lot got accomplished and both Jim and Linda feel good about the progress.
A Point to Ponder : What does the T in T-Shirt really mean?
Monday, May 30, 2011
Memorial Day, Some RV Info And Photos and A Cookout
Rantoul, IL.
69 Deg. clear, S. at 8 mph.
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the lower 90s. Breezy. South winds 15 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon.
Please take some time today to honor all of the men and women who have died to keep us free. They gave the ultimate sacrifice.
OK, I've messed with you enough. ;-) Here's some of the photos Jim took the other day, and I must admit, this MH sure looks nice.
I don't know all the details about it yet, but I do know that it's a 2000 Newmar London Aire. It's 45' long, has about 58,000 miles on it and has a very big Cummins engine. It has 2 slides on the drivers side, (one for the living room / kitchen and one in the bedroom). It has the Aqua Hot heating system, basement AC, a 12.5 KW Onan diesel generator, a side-by-side residential refrigerator / freezer and an electric stove.
In the basement it has an entertainment center, slide out trays in 2 bays, plus quite a bit more storage space.
As you can see by the photos, it has a gold / silver / grey / white paint scheme
Being that it's 45' long, it has the tag axle and I understand it has a CCC (cargo carrying capacity) of around 6,000 lbs.
That should be enough for all Jim and Linda's stuff!!! ;-)
A side view.
Here's a few photos of the inside.
This one is from the front of the coach looking back.
This is from the back looking forward.
If you notice, there are 2 couches. Well, the one on the right in the photo above is going to be removed and a desk and and a recliner are going to go into it's place. For now, the couch on the left will stay, but may be replaced with chairs or recliners at some later date.
The dealer is having the engine serviced and will correct some minor problems with the coach. While that is being done, Jim and Linda are getting their finances in order and in about a week and a half to 2 weeks they should be taking possession.
Then, of course, all of Jim and Linda's "stuff" that is in me will have to be transferred to the Newmar, but the dealer told Jim and Linda that they would help.
So . . . . . . . . . .there you have it. It sure sounds and looks nice and I hope that it will serve Jim and Linda for many, many years to come.
Yesterday afternoon, Louise and Paul had a cook-out over at their site and invited Jim and Linda to come over for hamburgers.
Linda decided that she would bake a cake to take over there but when she went to use my convection oven, after preheating, it just quit. No display no nothing. Jim checked my circuit breakers and even checked the voltage at the outlet where it's plugged into, and there was electric there. :-(
If you remember, this microwave / convection oven was just installed last November, so Linda called the customer service number in the book and talked to a lady that said it would be covered under warranty and gave Linda a Job # and a phone number to call for repair service in this area. Of course being the Holiday weekend, she couldn't contact the repair facility, so that will have to be done tomorrow.
So, "What did Linda do about the cake"? you ask. Well, she already had it mixed up and in the pan, so she called Louise and asked her if she would bake it in her oven? Louise said "of course", so Jim took it over there and Louise baked it for Linda. Then in about 45 minutes Jim went back over to Louise's and brought the cake back here to cool and for Linda to frost it.
Thanks, Louise.
The cook-out was a great success. There must have been about a dozen people over there and many of them brought something to contribute to the meal.
Ahhhhhh!!!! Good food, good company, what more could you ask for? ;-)
Did you know that on Memorial Day, the flag should be at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff?
69 Deg. clear, S. at 8 mph.
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the lower 90s. Breezy. South winds 15 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon.
Please take some time today to honor all of the men and women who have died to keep us free. They gave the ultimate sacrifice.
OK, I've messed with you enough. ;-) Here's some of the photos Jim took the other day, and I must admit, this MH sure looks nice.
I don't know all the details about it yet, but I do know that it's a 2000 Newmar London Aire. It's 45' long, has about 58,000 miles on it and has a very big Cummins engine. It has 2 slides on the drivers side, (one for the living room / kitchen and one in the bedroom). It has the Aqua Hot heating system, basement AC, a 12.5 KW Onan diesel generator, a side-by-side residential refrigerator / freezer and an electric stove.
In the basement it has an entertainment center, slide out trays in 2 bays, plus quite a bit more storage space.
As you can see by the photos, it has a gold / silver / grey / white paint scheme
Being that it's 45' long, it has the tag axle and I understand it has a CCC (cargo carrying capacity) of around 6,000 lbs.
That should be enough for all Jim and Linda's stuff!!! ;-)
A side view.
Here's a few photos of the inside.
If you notice, there are 2 couches. Well, the one on the right in the photo above is going to be removed and a desk and and a recliner are going to go into it's place. For now, the couch on the left will stay, but may be replaced with chairs or recliners at some later date.
The dealer is having the engine serviced and will correct some minor problems with the coach. While that is being done, Jim and Linda are getting their finances in order and in about a week and a half to 2 weeks they should be taking possession.
Then, of course, all of Jim and Linda's "stuff" that is in me will have to be transferred to the Newmar, but the dealer told Jim and Linda that they would help.
So . . . . . . . . . .there you have it. It sure sounds and looks nice and I hope that it will serve Jim and Linda for many, many years to come.
Yesterday afternoon, Louise and Paul had a cook-out over at their site and invited Jim and Linda to come over for hamburgers.
Linda decided that she would bake a cake to take over there but when she went to use my convection oven, after preheating, it just quit. No display no nothing. Jim checked my circuit breakers and even checked the voltage at the outlet where it's plugged into, and there was electric there. :-(
If you remember, this microwave / convection oven was just installed last November, so Linda called the customer service number in the book and talked to a lady that said it would be covered under warranty and gave Linda a Job # and a phone number to call for repair service in this area. Of course being the Holiday weekend, she couldn't contact the repair facility, so that will have to be done tomorrow.
So, "What did Linda do about the cake"? you ask. Well, she already had it mixed up and in the pan, so she called Louise and asked her if she would bake it in her oven? Louise said "of course", so Jim took it over there and Louise baked it for Linda. Then in about 45 minutes Jim went back over to Louise's and brought the cake back here to cool and for Linda to frost it.
Thanks, Louise.
The cook-out was a great success. There must have been about a dozen people over there and many of them brought something to contribute to the meal.
Ahhhhhh!!!! Good food, good company, what more could you ask for? ;-)
Did you know that on Memorial Day, the flag should be at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff?
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Milton, WV to Frankfort, KY and The Elkhorn CG
Frankfort, KY,
65 deg. overcast, SE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = Showers and thunderstorms likely until midday...then chance of showers and thunderstorms later in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
By about 10:00 the rain had pretty much quit and so Jim and Linda started getting me ready to travel. While Jim was getting ready to hook CLT to the back of me, John and Bridget came over to say good-bye and wish us safe travels.
They really are some nice folks and Jim and Linda are hoping that they'll see them again sometime. :-)
Anyway, by 10:55 we were pulling out of Jim's Campground and heading back to I-64. Taking 64 west brought us into Kentucky. Not far into the state, Jim pulled me into a truck stop and bought me a nice big drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel. :-)
I was getting really thirsty because the last drink I had was way back when we were leaving Jordan Lake in Apex, NC. Jim said that by waiting until we got to Kentucky, (instead of getting fuel in WV), we saved about 10 to 15 cents a gallon. Now, that's a pretty good chunk of change when you're buying about 85 gallons of fuel.
We had a little rain before we got into Kentucky, but after that, the skies cleared and except for some wind it was good traveling all the way to the Elkhorn Campground in Frankfort.
It was 2:20 when we pulled in, so it took us 3 hours and 25 minutes to travel 168 miles and stop to get me my drink.
We have been to this CG a few times in the past. It's not the easiest CG to get to and not the cheapest either. But, because, many years ago, we stopped here because I was having some problems, and the very nice folks in the office helped Jim find a place to get parts for me, we stop back here every time we're passing through the area. :-)
You see, Jim believes in giving our business to the especially nice folks that we meet who go out of their way to help us or do a few extra things to make our travels and stops nicer.
So, if you're passing through the Frankfort KY area and are looking for a nice CG with very friendly folks running it, stop by. They're good folks. :-)
Last night, we had another round of t-storms come through this area. It got pretty windy for awhile and there was a lot of thunder, lightning, rain and some small hail! Right now, the radar looks pretty good, but there are some more storms way down to the SW of here that are headed this way. :-(
Oh, did I mention that Jim has made change # 10 to our trip plan? Yep, he got out that big eraser of his again yesterday and made some more changes. ;-)
Now, because Jim and Linda have decided that the MH that they were going to look at up near Indianapolis is not one that they wanted, and Jim really didn't want to deal with the traffic and construction up there, they've decided that instead of turning North when we get to Louisville, we'll continue West and then head up through the western part of Indiana and the Eastern part of Illinois.
Did you know that bluegrass is not really blue--its green--but in the spring bluegrass produces bluish purple buds that when seen in large fields give a blue cast to the grass? Today Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State.
65 deg. overcast, SE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = Showers and thunderstorms likely until midday...then chance of showers and thunderstorms later in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
By about 10:00 the rain had pretty much quit and so Jim and Linda started getting me ready to travel. While Jim was getting ready to hook CLT to the back of me, John and Bridget came over to say good-bye and wish us safe travels.
They really are some nice folks and Jim and Linda are hoping that they'll see them again sometime. :-)
Anyway, by 10:55 we were pulling out of Jim's Campground and heading back to I-64. Taking 64 west brought us into Kentucky. Not far into the state, Jim pulled me into a truck stop and bought me a nice big drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel. :-)
I was getting really thirsty because the last drink I had was way back when we were leaving Jordan Lake in Apex, NC. Jim said that by waiting until we got to Kentucky, (instead of getting fuel in WV), we saved about 10 to 15 cents a gallon. Now, that's a pretty good chunk of change when you're buying about 85 gallons of fuel.
We had a little rain before we got into Kentucky, but after that, the skies cleared and except for some wind it was good traveling all the way to the Elkhorn Campground in Frankfort.
It was 2:20 when we pulled in, so it took us 3 hours and 25 minutes to travel 168 miles and stop to get me my drink.
We have been to this CG a few times in the past. It's not the easiest CG to get to and not the cheapest either. But, because, many years ago, we stopped here because I was having some problems, and the very nice folks in the office helped Jim find a place to get parts for me, we stop back here every time we're passing through the area. :-)
You see, Jim believes in giving our business to the especially nice folks that we meet who go out of their way to help us or do a few extra things to make our travels and stops nicer.
So, if you're passing through the Frankfort KY area and are looking for a nice CG with very friendly folks running it, stop by. They're good folks. :-)
Last night, we had another round of t-storms come through this area. It got pretty windy for awhile and there was a lot of thunder, lightning, rain and some small hail! Right now, the radar looks pretty good, but there are some more storms way down to the SW of here that are headed this way. :-(
Oh, did I mention that Jim has made change # 10 to our trip plan? Yep, he got out that big eraser of his again yesterday and made some more changes. ;-)
Now, because Jim and Linda have decided that the MH that they were going to look at up near Indianapolis is not one that they wanted, and Jim really didn't want to deal with the traffic and construction up there, they've decided that instead of turning North when we get to Louisville, we'll continue West and then head up through the western part of Indiana and the Eastern part of Illinois.
Did you know that bluegrass is not really blue--its green--but in the spring bluegrass produces bluish purple buds that when seen in large fields give a blue cast to the grass? Today Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Wildlife, Jim At Jim's and A Surprise Visit
Milton, WV
65 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Mostly cloudy with showers with thunderstorms likely this morning...then partly sunny with scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.
Wildlife!!!! Wildlife!!!!
Wow!!!! Just as it was getting light yesterday morning, some deer came wandering through the park and passed about 15' in front of me!!!! Later, Jim talked to Russ, (the CG Host) and he told Jim that some of them are very tame and will come right up to you.
Being that Jim had planned a short travel day, we didn't leave the Summer Wind RV Park until about 10:20. In a few minutes we were back on I-64, heading west towards Beckley, WV. Near Beckley, we turned North on I-64 / I-77 / WV Toll Road. Now, any of you that have been on this road, know that it's notorious for being a very rough road that will test your RVs springs and shocks.
Well, . . .. . this time was no different. Parts of the road have been repaved, but there are a couple of sections that are so rough that all the items in your refrigerator change from one shelf to the next. ;-)
Well, not really, but it's rough. :-)
Up by Charleston, I-64 separated from I-77 and headed West again. At exit #28 we turned off of the Interstate and after following US 60 for a short way, pulled into Jim's Campground! Yep, Jim just had to stop here after he found it on the Internet. He said "It must be good if it's named Jim's CG!! ;-)
Well, it's OK. The sites are fairly large and level, the back-in sites have 50 amp service and full hook-ups and there are some pull though sites in a different area that have 30 amp service and water. Really, the only bad things about this park are the roads. They are very rough, patched on top of patches and nothing but rough gravel and stone in other places. If you go slow though, it's not too bad and the park is good for an over night stop.
It was 12:45 when we pulled into the park, so it took us 2 hours and 25 minutes to travel 125 miles
Not long after Jim and Linda had me set up, there was a knock on the door and when Jim answered it, found out that John and Bridget Hatch had stopped by to say Hi! :-)
What a small world!!! John and Bridget are fellow RV Dreamers and were up near Richmond while we were there visiting with Mike, Terri, Jim and Dee, but we didn't get to see them at that time. Come to find out, they are here visiting relatives and are staying here in this park. John saw me drive by their site and then after waiting awhile so that Jim and Linda could get me set up, he, Bridget and some of their family stopped by for a visit.
What nice folks. Hopefully we'll cross paths with them again one of these day. :-)
Today we're going to try to get as far as Frankfort, KY, but looking at the radar, there's a big line of t-storms between here and there that are heading this way. On TV, they're saying that they're dissipating, but so far, I haven't seen much dissipating on the radar. :-(
So . . . . . I guess we'll just wait until it's about time to leave here and see what's happening at that time before deciding what to do. We could stay here for another day if we had to.
Did you know that West Virginia has an mean altitude of 1,500 feet, giving it the highest average altitude east of the Mississippi?
65 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Mostly cloudy with showers with thunderstorms likely this morning...then partly sunny with scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.
Wildlife!!!! Wildlife!!!!
Wow!!!! Just as it was getting light yesterday morning, some deer came wandering through the park and passed about 15' in front of me!!!! Later, Jim talked to Russ, (the CG Host) and he told Jim that some of them are very tame and will come right up to you.
Being that Jim had planned a short travel day, we didn't leave the Summer Wind RV Park until about 10:20. In a few minutes we were back on I-64, heading west towards Beckley, WV. Near Beckley, we turned North on I-64 / I-77 / WV Toll Road. Now, any of you that have been on this road, know that it's notorious for being a very rough road that will test your RVs springs and shocks.
Well, . . .. . this time was no different. Parts of the road have been repaved, but there are a couple of sections that are so rough that all the items in your refrigerator change from one shelf to the next. ;-)
Well, not really, but it's rough. :-)
Up by Charleston, I-64 separated from I-77 and headed West again. At exit #28 we turned off of the Interstate and after following US 60 for a short way, pulled into Jim's Campground! Yep, Jim just had to stop here after he found it on the Internet. He said "It must be good if it's named Jim's CG!! ;-)
Well, it's OK. The sites are fairly large and level, the back-in sites have 50 amp service and full hook-ups and there are some pull though sites in a different area that have 30 amp service and water. Really, the only bad things about this park are the roads. They are very rough, patched on top of patches and nothing but rough gravel and stone in other places. If you go slow though, it's not too bad and the park is good for an over night stop.
It was 12:45 when we pulled into the park, so it took us 2 hours and 25 minutes to travel 125 miles
Not long after Jim and Linda had me set up, there was a knock on the door and when Jim answered it, found out that John and Bridget Hatch had stopped by to say Hi! :-)
What a small world!!! John and Bridget are fellow RV Dreamers and were up near Richmond while we were there visiting with Mike, Terri, Jim and Dee, but we didn't get to see them at that time. Come to find out, they are here visiting relatives and are staying here in this park. John saw me drive by their site and then after waiting awhile so that Jim and Linda could get me set up, he, Bridget and some of their family stopped by for a visit.
What nice folks. Hopefully we'll cross paths with them again one of these day. :-)
Today we're going to try to get as far as Frankfort, KY, but looking at the radar, there's a big line of t-storms between here and there that are heading this way. On TV, they're saying that they're dissipating, but so far, I haven't seen much dissipating on the radar. :-(
So . . . . . I guess we'll just wait until it's about time to leave here and see what's happening at that time before deciding what to do. We could stay here for another day if we had to.
Did you know that West Virginia has an mean altitude of 1,500 feet, giving it the highest average altitude east of the Mississippi?
Friday, May 20, 2011
Virginia Beach to Glen Allen and Lots of Company
Glen Allen, VA.
52 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Joe came out and visited with Linda for a little while yesterday morning, (while Jim was getting me ready to travel), but all too soon it was time to pull me out of the driveway and get ready to leave. So, Jim backed me up a little to get my front wheels down off of the wooden blocks and then pulled me out onto the street and hooked CLT to the back of me.
After final h and h, (hugs and handshakes), we pulled away from Joe and Nancy's at 9:50 and headed back to I-246. Following 264 West brought us to I-64 where the decision had to made as to which route we would take. Well . . . . Jim turned to the left and we followed it back the way we came and picked up US 58 on the SW side of Chesapeake. Following 58 to the SW brought us to Suffolk where we turned NW on US 460. 460 brought us to Petersburg where we tuned North on I-295. Following 295 brought us up and around Richmond and to I-95 where we again tuned North for about 5 miles and then took local road to the Kosmo Village campground and mobile home park.
It was 12:40 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us 2 hours and 50 minutes to travel 135 miles.
This park is nothing special, but it's OK for an overnight stop. There are full hook-ups with 50amp service and the sites are reasonably level. And, it one of the least expensive parks in the area.
As you can see, Jim took a few photos of the CG. It's well maintained and clean.
After getting me set up and getting my over-full black and grey water tanks drained, Jim had a "cold one" and then took a little nap. ;-)
As you probably remember, Mike and Terri Young are staying at a CG near here and plans were made for them to come and see me. Well, Jim and Dee Walter are staying at that park also. (You remember them. Jim and Linda went with Gin and Syl to visit them up at the fairgrounds in Raleigh when we were in Apex). Well anyway, about 6:30 they all came over.
None of them had ever seen the inside of me, so when they got here, (after h and h), they all came in and visited for awhile.
Linda had baked a cake so she served everyone a piece along with some peach tea. Everyone seemed to enjoy the snack while they were talking, laughing and telling "war stories". ;-)
It sure was great having them here and I really enjoyed hearing the RVing stories and conversation that they had.
When it was about time for them to leave, they all went outside and everyone started taking photos. In the photo above, you see Jim and Dee on the left and Mike and Terri on the right.
It sure was good to see them and Jim and Linda will be looking forward to crossing paths with all of them in the future. In fact both couples may be getting up to Illinois this summer and if they can, they're going to stop by the CG in Rantoul for a visit. :-)
It never ceases to amaze me. RVers from all walks of life get to know one another and in just a short time, become very good friends. A few years ago, Jim and Linda didn't know Jim and Dee or Mike and Terri, yet through RVing, they've gotten to know one another and now are looking forward to the next time they meet. And, the common bonds that brings them together? RVing and Full-timing!
Ahhh! What a great lifestyle!!!!! :-)
Did you know that on this day in 1873, San Francisco businessman Levi Strauss and Reno, Nevada, tailor Jacob Davis were given a patent to create work pants reinforced with metal rivets, marking the birth of one of the world's most famous garments: blue jeans?
52 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Joe came out and visited with Linda for a little while yesterday morning, (while Jim was getting me ready to travel), but all too soon it was time to pull me out of the driveway and get ready to leave. So, Jim backed me up a little to get my front wheels down off of the wooden blocks and then pulled me out onto the street and hooked CLT to the back of me.
After final h and h, (hugs and handshakes), we pulled away from Joe and Nancy's at 9:50 and headed back to I-246. Following 264 West brought us to I-64 where the decision had to made as to which route we would take. Well . . . . Jim turned to the left and we followed it back the way we came and picked up US 58 on the SW side of Chesapeake. Following 58 to the SW brought us to Suffolk where we turned NW on US 460. 460 brought us to Petersburg where we tuned North on I-295. Following 295 brought us up and around Richmond and to I-95 where we again tuned North for about 5 miles and then took local road to the Kosmo Village campground and mobile home park.
It was 12:40 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us 2 hours and 50 minutes to travel 135 miles.
This park is nothing special, but it's OK for an overnight stop. There are full hook-ups with 50amp service and the sites are reasonably level. And, it one of the least expensive parks in the area.
As you can see, Jim took a few photos of the CG. It's well maintained and clean.
After getting me set up and getting my over-full black and grey water tanks drained, Jim had a "cold one" and then took a little nap. ;-)
As you probably remember, Mike and Terri Young are staying at a CG near here and plans were made for them to come and see me. Well, Jim and Dee Walter are staying at that park also. (You remember them. Jim and Linda went with Gin and Syl to visit them up at the fairgrounds in Raleigh when we were in Apex). Well anyway, about 6:30 they all came over.
None of them had ever seen the inside of me, so when they got here, (after h and h), they all came in and visited for awhile.
Linda had baked a cake so she served everyone a piece along with some peach tea. Everyone seemed to enjoy the snack while they were talking, laughing and telling "war stories". ;-)
It sure was great having them here and I really enjoyed hearing the RVing stories and conversation that they had.
When it was about time for them to leave, they all went outside and everyone started taking photos. In the photo above, you see Jim and Dee on the left and Mike and Terri on the right.
It sure was good to see them and Jim and Linda will be looking forward to crossing paths with all of them in the future. In fact both couples may be getting up to Illinois this summer and if they can, they're going to stop by the CG in Rantoul for a visit. :-)
It never ceases to amaze me. RVers from all walks of life get to know one another and in just a short time, become very good friends. A few years ago, Jim and Linda didn't know Jim and Dee or Mike and Terri, yet through RVing, they've gotten to know one another and now are looking forward to the next time they meet. And, the common bonds that brings them together? RVing and Full-timing!
Ahhh! What a great lifestyle!!!!! :-)
Did you know that on this day in 1873, San Francisco businessman Levi Strauss and Reno, Nevada, tailor Jacob Davis were given a patent to create work pants reinforced with metal rivets, marking the birth of one of the world's most famous garments: blue jeans?
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Two Phone Calls and Heading for Richmond
Virginia Beach, VA.
55 Deg.clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny, a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent
It's hard to believe that we've been here 11 days already. We usually only stay for 14, but this past 11 days has just flown by.
Jim called a Camp Ground up North of Richmond yesterday and made sure that they would have a site for me. It's only about a 2 or 2 1/2 hour drive up there, (depending on which way we go), and we should be getting there during the early afternoon, so the lady told Jim that a reservation wasn't necessary and we should just come on in.
After he called the CG, he called Mike and Terri Young, (friends that Jim and Linda have seen at the last two RV Rallies), who are staying at another CG up in that area to see if they would have some time to get together today. They didn't answer when Jim called, but called back later in the afternoon and it looks like they'll be coming to see me this evening. :-)
That's great!!! I really like having company!!! :-)
So, the plan is to leave here about 10:00 this morning. There's two different routes that we can take to get up to Richmond and I don't think Jim even knows which way we'll be going yet. I guess I'll just have to wait until we get to I-64 and see which way we turn.
Tuesday evening, Nancy made meatballs and spaghetti for dinner. (Both Jim and Linda said it was really good), and then last night they ordered some Pizza from Papa John's.
Jim and Linda said their good-byes to Nancy, Sami and Amber last night because they may not see them this morning. I think Joe is planning on coming out here to say good-bye before he goes to work.
Like usual, it's been good staying here in Virginia Beach. If everything goes according to plan, Jim and Linda, (and maybe me), will be back here this fall.
Did you know that there are over 198 holes of golf in Virginia Beach?
55 Deg.clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny, a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent
It's hard to believe that we've been here 11 days already. We usually only stay for 14, but this past 11 days has just flown by.
Jim called a Camp Ground up North of Richmond yesterday and made sure that they would have a site for me. It's only about a 2 or 2 1/2 hour drive up there, (depending on which way we go), and we should be getting there during the early afternoon, so the lady told Jim that a reservation wasn't necessary and we should just come on in.
After he called the CG, he called Mike and Terri Young, (friends that Jim and Linda have seen at the last two RV Rallies), who are staying at another CG up in that area to see if they would have some time to get together today. They didn't answer when Jim called, but called back later in the afternoon and it looks like they'll be coming to see me this evening. :-)
That's great!!! I really like having company!!! :-)
So, the plan is to leave here about 10:00 this morning. There's two different routes that we can take to get up to Richmond and I don't think Jim even knows which way we'll be going yet. I guess I'll just have to wait until we get to I-64 and see which way we turn.
Tuesday evening, Nancy made meatballs and spaghetti for dinner. (Both Jim and Linda said it was really good), and then last night they ordered some Pizza from Papa John's.
Jim and Linda said their good-byes to Nancy, Sami and Amber last night because they may not see them this morning. I think Joe is planning on coming out here to say good-bye before he goes to work.
Like usual, it's been good staying here in Virginia Beach. If everything goes according to plan, Jim and Linda, (and maybe me), will be back here this fall.
Did you know that there are over 198 holes of golf in Virginia Beach?
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Good Timing, Gin And Syl and Jim And Dee
Apex, NC
47 Deg. clear, light southerly winds
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
You couldn't have asked for better timing. Gin and Syl were expected out here at Jordan lake about 11:00 and about 9:00 the rain stopped and by 10:30 the sun was peaking out from behind the clouds. So, by the time they got here, the sun was shining the skies were clearing and it was warming up nicely. :-)
After talking for 1/2 hour or so, Jim fired up the grill and cooked hamburgers for everyone while Linda put together a bacon and green bean dish, got out chips and condiments for the burgers and the brownies that she had made the day before. Gin and Syl brought some potato salad and a broccoli salad and so by the time they had everything set out on my kitchen counter, they had all the fixin's' for a great meal. :-)
After talking for awhile longer and before they all headed up to the Fairgrounds to see Jim and Dee, Jim took this photo of Syl and Gin. As you can see the weather had cleared up nicely and it turned out to be a great day.
I think it was about 1:45 when they left here and headed up to the Raleigh State Fairgrounds. CLT said that it took about 45 minutes to get up there and find the new CG. He also said that it's a lot nicer than the old CG where we had stayed at 3 or 4 years ago, and was away from the busy road and all the traffic.
Jim took this photo of Dee and Jim standing outside of their very nice Cameo 5th wheel.
After talking for a couple of hours, it was time for Jim and Linda to head over to Mike's for dinner. So, after h and h they headed back to Apex for a very nice meal and more visiting with Mike and his family.
Jim and Linda said that it sure was good to see Gin and Syl and Jim and Dee again. All are good people and Jim and Linda are hoping to meet up with them again.
So . . . . . . Another great day with great friends. Having and making new friends all over the country is one of the benefits that Jim and Linda never thought about as they were getting ready to go full-timing almost 10 years ago. :-)
A Point to Ponder : If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?
47 Deg. clear, light southerly winds
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
You couldn't have asked for better timing. Gin and Syl were expected out here at Jordan lake about 11:00 and about 9:00 the rain stopped and by 10:30 the sun was peaking out from behind the clouds. So, by the time they got here, the sun was shining the skies were clearing and it was warming up nicely. :-)
After talking for 1/2 hour or so, Jim fired up the grill and cooked hamburgers for everyone while Linda put together a bacon and green bean dish, got out chips and condiments for the burgers and the brownies that she had made the day before. Gin and Syl brought some potato salad and a broccoli salad and so by the time they had everything set out on my kitchen counter, they had all the fixin's' for a great meal. :-)
After talking for awhile longer and before they all headed up to the Fairgrounds to see Jim and Dee, Jim took this photo of Syl and Gin. As you can see the weather had cleared up nicely and it turned out to be a great day.
After talking for a couple of hours, it was time for Jim and Linda to head over to Mike's for dinner. So, after h and h they headed back to Apex for a very nice meal and more visiting with Mike and his family.
Jim and Linda said that it sure was good to see Gin and Syl and Jim and Dee again. All are good people and Jim and Linda are hoping to meet up with them again.
So . . . . . . Another great day with great friends. Having and making new friends all over the country is one of the benefits that Jim and Linda never thought about as they were getting ready to go full-timing almost 10 years ago. :-)
A Point to Ponder : If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
It Doesn't Look Good and A Busy Day
Apex, NC
55 deg. rain, light S. winds
Forecast today = Mostly cloudy. Showers likely...mainly this morning. Not as warm with highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds around 10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
It doesn't look good!!! :-(
"What doesn't look good", You ask?
It doesn't look good for Jim to be cooking burgers out on the grill and eating outside when Gin and Syl come for lunch today. Elizabeth, (the weather gal on TV), is saying that it's supposed to clear up later, but by the radar, I have my doubts if it'll clear by noon. Jim should still be able to cook the burgers outside under my awning, but I'm quite sure they'll have to eat inside.
That's OK though. I've had more than 4 people eating inside of me many times before. I can handle that! ;-)
Jim called Jim and Dee, who are staying at the Raleigh Fairgrounds CG, yesterday morning and since Gin and Syl are going up there to see them after they leave here, Jim and Linda are going to follow them up there. Dee seemed really excited that everyone was coming to visit and I'm guessing everyone will have a great time. :-)
So, today is going to be a busy day. First Gin and Syl come here, then everyone heads up to the Fairgrounds to see Jim and Dee, and then after they leave Jim and Dee's, Jim and Linda will stop by Mike and Gina's for dinner.
Whew!!! I'm getting tired just thinking about it!!! ;-)
Did you know that on May 4, 1965, San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays hit his 512th career home run to break Mel Ott’s National League record for home runs? Mays would finish his career with 660 home runs, good for third on the all-time list at the time of his retirement
55 deg. rain, light S. winds
Forecast today = Mostly cloudy. Showers likely...mainly this morning. Not as warm with highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds around 10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
It doesn't look good!!! :-(
"What doesn't look good", You ask?
It doesn't look good for Jim to be cooking burgers out on the grill and eating outside when Gin and Syl come for lunch today. Elizabeth, (the weather gal on TV), is saying that it's supposed to clear up later, but by the radar, I have my doubts if it'll clear by noon. Jim should still be able to cook the burgers outside under my awning, but I'm quite sure they'll have to eat inside.
That's OK though. I've had more than 4 people eating inside of me many times before. I can handle that! ;-)
Jim called Jim and Dee, who are staying at the Raleigh Fairgrounds CG, yesterday morning and since Gin and Syl are going up there to see them after they leave here, Jim and Linda are going to follow them up there. Dee seemed really excited that everyone was coming to visit and I'm guessing everyone will have a great time. :-)
So, today is going to be a busy day. First Gin and Syl come here, then everyone heads up to the Fairgrounds to see Jim and Dee, and then after they leave Jim and Dee's, Jim and Linda will stop by Mike and Gina's for dinner.
Whew!!! I'm getting tired just thinking about it!!! ;-)
Did you know that on May 4, 1965, San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays hit his 512th career home run to break Mel Ott’s National League record for home runs? Mays would finish his career with 660 home runs, good for third on the all-time list at the time of his retirement
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Prescriptions, Back To Mike's and CG Closing Hours
Apex, NC
62 deg. scattered clouds, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
Nothing much to report for yesterday. Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to the Walgreen's store yesterday morning to get Linda's prescriptions filled. Everything went pretty well and they only had to wait about 1/2 hour for the pharmacist to fill them. But, (and there's often a "but" it seems), the pharmacy didn't have enough of one of the pills in stock, so they told Linda that they would have them in the afternoon and she could pick them up later in the day.
So, they came back here, took naps, fooled around with the computers, and watched a little TV before going over to Mike and Gina's for dinner.
Oh and Linda cooked some carrots, to take over to Mikes to go along with the chicken that they had.
Now, I'm going to kind of "switch gears" here, so hang with me.
As you may be aware, they lock the gates here at Jordan Lake every night and then open them again in the morning. You can get out if it's an emergency by going to the campground host or dialing 911, but you can't get in once the gates are locked for the night.
Well, in the winter months, (Nov - Feb), they close the gates at 6:00 PM!!!! Yep you read that right.
In the spring and fall, (Sep, Oct, Mar and Apr), they close the gates at 8:00 PM (better but still not good if you want to do something outside of the park in the evenings).
Then, during the summer, (May -Aug), they close the gates at 9:00. (still better but can still cause problems with evening plans).
Now this is one of the only places that I know of where they lock the gates and you absolutely can't get back in. Most places will give you a key or a combination so you can come and go as you please. :-(
This is why Jim and Linda have been looking at different Campgrounds in the area. It doesn't really pose a problem if we're here in the summer or even during the spring and fall months, but like last year, we were here into November, and there was just no way it would work since Mike doesn't even get home from work until about 5:00, and then Jim and Linda would have to drive back here to the CG and be back by 6:00.
So, anyway, being that it is now May, the gates are open until 9:00 and that allowed Linda and Jim to head over to the Walgreen's store after they left Mike and Gina's last night to pick up the last of her prescriptions.
See, I got back to the original subject! :-)
After they got her meds, they came back here, watched a little TV and then went to bed after the news.
Mike and Gina are busy this evening so Jim and Linda won't be seeing them today. Tomorrow, Gin and Syl are coming over here to see me, and then, Jim and Linda may follow them up to the Fairgrounds in Raleigh to see another couple, (Jim and Dee) who are camping up there. Jim is going to call Jim and Dee today and see if it will work out.
Did you know that today is "National Two Different Colored Shoes Day"?
62 deg. scattered clouds, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
Nothing much to report for yesterday. Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to the Walgreen's store yesterday morning to get Linda's prescriptions filled. Everything went pretty well and they only had to wait about 1/2 hour for the pharmacist to fill them. But, (and there's often a "but" it seems), the pharmacy didn't have enough of one of the pills in stock, so they told Linda that they would have them in the afternoon and she could pick them up later in the day.
So, they came back here, took naps, fooled around with the computers, and watched a little TV before going over to Mike and Gina's for dinner.
Oh and Linda cooked some carrots, to take over to Mikes to go along with the chicken that they had.
Now, I'm going to kind of "switch gears" here, so hang with me.
As you may be aware, they lock the gates here at Jordan Lake every night and then open them again in the morning. You can get out if it's an emergency by going to the campground host or dialing 911, but you can't get in once the gates are locked for the night.
Well, in the winter months, (Nov - Feb), they close the gates at 6:00 PM!!!! Yep you read that right.
In the spring and fall, (Sep, Oct, Mar and Apr), they close the gates at 8:00 PM (better but still not good if you want to do something outside of the park in the evenings).
Then, during the summer, (May -Aug), they close the gates at 9:00. (still better but can still cause problems with evening plans).
Now this is one of the only places that I know of where they lock the gates and you absolutely can't get back in. Most places will give you a key or a combination so you can come and go as you please. :-(
This is why Jim and Linda have been looking at different Campgrounds in the area. It doesn't really pose a problem if we're here in the summer or even during the spring and fall months, but like last year, we were here into November, and there was just no way it would work since Mike doesn't even get home from work until about 5:00, and then Jim and Linda would have to drive back here to the CG and be back by 6:00.
So, anyway, being that it is now May, the gates are open until 9:00 and that allowed Linda and Jim to head over to the Walgreen's store after they left Mike and Gina's last night to pick up the last of her prescriptions.
See, I got back to the original subject! :-)
After they got her meds, they came back here, watched a little TV and then went to bed after the news.
Mike and Gina are busy this evening so Jim and Linda won't be seeing them today. Tomorrow, Gin and Syl are coming over here to see me, and then, Jim and Linda may follow them up to the Fairgrounds in Raleigh to see another couple, (Jim and Dee) who are camping up there. Jim is going to call Jim and Dee today and see if it will work out.
Did you know that today is "National Two Different Colored Shoes Day"?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Grocery Shopping, Company Coming and An Invitation
Apex, NC
55 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
It was another beautiful day yesterday, but Jim and Linda really didn't take advantage of it. Instead, they took CLT and headed to the Lowes Foods Grocery store to buy some groceries that they were needing. Then, after getting them all put away in my cabinets and refrigerator, they both took naps. ;-)
Yeah, there were other times during the day when Jim and Linda could have been outside, but Jim said that he just didn't feel real well, and Linda's back was bothering her some, so they didn't do much else.
Later this afternoon, Mike and his family are coming out here for awhile. Jim's going to cook some burgers on his grill and he also bought some firewood on the way back from grocery shopping, so that if anyone wants to, they can cook hot dogs, brats or marshmallows over a fire.
Oh, Jim got an e-mail and I got a comment from Jim and Dee Walter, who are camping up at the fairgrounds in Raleigh. They're wanting to know if Jim and Linda could come up there for a visit or get together somehow. Well, today when Mike comes, we'll find out what their schedule is and then maybe they can make plans to get together one day this week. Dee suggested maybe coming up there with Gin and Syl after they come here for lunch on Wednesday, and that may work.
Well, I guess that's about it for today. Jim and Linda will be busy getting me presentable for Mike and Gina's visit today, Linda wants to get some food ready ahead of time, and Jim will be put the tablecloth on the picnic table and getting the outside stuff ready.
I'm sure glad they're forecasting nice weather for today. It'll be lots of fun seeing Mike, Gina, Brenna, Savanna and Dillon again. :-)
Did you know that May is "National Barbecue Month"?
Happy May Day!!!! ;-)
55 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
It was another beautiful day yesterday, but Jim and Linda really didn't take advantage of it. Instead, they took CLT and headed to the Lowes Foods Grocery store to buy some groceries that they were needing. Then, after getting them all put away in my cabinets and refrigerator, they both took naps. ;-)
Yeah, there were other times during the day when Jim and Linda could have been outside, but Jim said that he just didn't feel real well, and Linda's back was bothering her some, so they didn't do much else.
Later this afternoon, Mike and his family are coming out here for awhile. Jim's going to cook some burgers on his grill and he also bought some firewood on the way back from grocery shopping, so that if anyone wants to, they can cook hot dogs, brats or marshmallows over a fire.
Oh, Jim got an e-mail and I got a comment from Jim and Dee Walter, who are camping up at the fairgrounds in Raleigh. They're wanting to know if Jim and Linda could come up there for a visit or get together somehow. Well, today when Mike comes, we'll find out what their schedule is and then maybe they can make plans to get together one day this week. Dee suggested maybe coming up there with Gin and Syl after they come here for lunch on Wednesday, and that may work.
Well, I guess that's about it for today. Jim and Linda will be busy getting me presentable for Mike and Gina's visit today, Linda wants to get some food ready ahead of time, and Jim will be put the tablecloth on the picnic table and getting the outside stuff ready.
I'm sure glad they're forecasting nice weather for today. It'll be lots of fun seeing Mike, Gina, Brenna, Savanna and Dillon again. :-)
Did you know that May is "National Barbecue Month"?
Happy May Day!!!! ;-)
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Purrrrfect and Company Coming
Apex, NC
50 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. North winds around 5 mph.
The weather yesterday was just about as close to perfect as you can get. We had temperatures in the mid 70's, low humidity and a nice little breeze blowing at about 10 mph or so. In fact, the weather was so nice that both Jim and Linda sat outside under my awning for quite awhile, just enjoying it. ;-)
Not a real lot happened around here. There were lots of RVs coming into the park for the weekend, and with them came lots of kids who rode around the park on bikes, people walking their dogs and quite a few campfires.
For dinner, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to Mike's. Then, after Mike got home form work and got ready, they all headed over to a Carrabba's Restaurant. Jim said that he had the grilled salmon and Linda had spaghetti.
Both said that their meals were very good. :-)
After finishing their meals, Jim and Linda came back here and Mike, Gina and the kids went back home, after stopping to do a little shopping.
Today, Mike and his family are going to be busy, so we won't be seeing them, but Sunday afternoon, they're coming out here for an evening meal of hamburgers, hot dogs and brats.
It should be fun. ;-)
Oh, and I almost forgot!!! Syl and Gin called, (You remember them, they were at the Rally in Sevierville, and also came out here to Jordan lake to visit me the last time we were here), and they are going to come out here to the campground for lunch next Wednesday! :-) I heard Jim tell Syl that he'd cook some burgers on the grill and I think they said that they were going to bring a salad. And, I'm sure that Linda will come up with a desert too. ;-)
Did you know that today is "National Go Birding Day"?
Did you know that, Judy?
50 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. North winds around 5 mph.
The weather yesterday was just about as close to perfect as you can get. We had temperatures in the mid 70's, low humidity and a nice little breeze blowing at about 10 mph or so. In fact, the weather was so nice that both Jim and Linda sat outside under my awning for quite awhile, just enjoying it. ;-)
Not a real lot happened around here. There were lots of RVs coming into the park for the weekend, and with them came lots of kids who rode around the park on bikes, people walking their dogs and quite a few campfires.
For dinner, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed over to Mike's. Then, after Mike got home form work and got ready, they all headed over to a Carrabba's Restaurant. Jim said that he had the grilled salmon and Linda had spaghetti.
Both said that their meals were very good. :-)
After finishing their meals, Jim and Linda came back here and Mike, Gina and the kids went back home, after stopping to do a little shopping.
Today, Mike and his family are going to be busy, so we won't be seeing them, but Sunday afternoon, they're coming out here for an evening meal of hamburgers, hot dogs and brats.
It should be fun. ;-)
Oh, and I almost forgot!!! Syl and Gin called, (You remember them, they were at the Rally in Sevierville, and also came out here to Jordan lake to visit me the last time we were here), and they are going to come out here to the campground for lunch next Wednesday! :-) I heard Jim tell Syl that he'd cook some burgers on the grill and I think they said that they were going to bring a salad. And, I'm sure that Linda will come up with a desert too. ;-)
Did you know that today is "National Go Birding Day"?
Did you know that, Judy?
Monday, April 25, 2011
Easter Dinner With Jenny And Her Family
Bluff City, TN
52 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent
It was just noon when Jim and Linda hopped into CLT and headed to Mountain City. Because Jenny's sister's house, (where the Easter dinner was to be held), was kind of off the beaten path, they decided to go to Jenny and Don's first, spend a little time with them, and then follow them over there.
They took 19 down to Elizabethton and then 67 up to Mountain City. It was a very scenic drive over there with a good portion of the route following along side of a large lake. Other sections of the route followed small streams and rivers as the road wound up, over and around the mountains. It was just 1:00 when they got to Mountain City and just a few minutes after when they pulled into the driveway at Don and Jenny's.
Don has done a great job rebuilding this house and has made it into a really nice home. There is also a large building out back where Don stores all his lawn cutting equipment.
After visiting for awhile, they all headed over to Jenny's sister's house with Don leading the way and CLT following along behind.
After driving for about 15 minutes they arrived at Mae's house and went inside to meet everyone. There they met 3 of Jenny's sisters and one of her brothers along with Jenny's sister-in-law and 2 of her brothers-in-law. They also met 1 of Jenny's nephews, "Uncle Bill," and her grand niece and namesake. (the baby shares Jenny's middle name of Rose).
About 2:30, all the food was brought out and placed on the kitchen counters and everyone helped themselves to a great home cooked meal. :-) Jim and Linda said that there was enough food to feed twice as many people and everything that they had was just great!!!
As you can see by these 2 photos, there we all kinds of vegetables and salads along with mashed potatoes, ham, beef, and about 5 or 6 delicious deserts,
After the meal, everyone sat and talked for awhile. In the photo below, you see Linda, Jenny and Jenny's sister-in-law, Imogene.
Jenny's grand niece however, decided that it was nap time. ;-)
About 4:30 everyone started packing up food and carrying it out to their cars and by 5:00 most everyone had said their good-bye's and were starting to leave.
Jim and Linda were so pleased to be welcomed into this warm family gathering. Everyone was so nice and welcomed them with open arms.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! :-)
When it was time to leave, Don told Jim about a shorter way to get back here to the CG in Bluff City. He said that Jim should turn CLT to the left at the end of the driveway and follow Cross Mountain Road up to the top of the mountain and then take another left and it would bring them right into Elizabethton and then back here to the CG.
So. . . . that's what Jim did, and wow!!! Talk about scenic!!!!
CLT said that the road wound up and up and around and around. Some of the grades were so steep that after taking curves at 10 to 20 mph, Jim had to put CLT's transmission all the way down into 1st gear to get going again!! The scenery was spectacular and when they reached the top, there was a little gravel pull-off and this is what the view was like.
Now, it doesn't show up very well in this photo, but it's a long way down there to the bottom. The air was nice and cool with a little breeze blowing and there was not a sound to be heard except for the singing of the birds.
Beautiful country. ;-)
It was about 6:00 when Jim backed CLT in along side of me. Jenny sent some food home with Jim and Linda and after getting it put away, they both sat down and talked about what a great day they had. After a while, Linda drank one of her "shakes" and Jim had a delicious ham sandwich. ;-)
Thanks again, Jenny and Don, for the great meal and the wonderful hospitality. Jim and Linda will remember this day for many years to come.
Did you know that it was in the early 1700's, when for the first time, eggs were dyed and the credit for starting this practice in America can be attributed to Pennsylvania Dutch (German) settlers
52 Deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Partly sunny. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent
It was just noon when Jim and Linda hopped into CLT and headed to Mountain City. Because Jenny's sister's house, (where the Easter dinner was to be held), was kind of off the beaten path, they decided to go to Jenny and Don's first, spend a little time with them, and then follow them over there.
They took 19 down to Elizabethton and then 67 up to Mountain City. It was a very scenic drive over there with a good portion of the route following along side of a large lake. Other sections of the route followed small streams and rivers as the road wound up, over and around the mountains. It was just 1:00 when they got to Mountain City and just a few minutes after when they pulled into the driveway at Don and Jenny's.
After visiting for awhile, they all headed over to Jenny's sister's house with Don leading the way and CLT following along behind.
About 2:30, all the food was brought out and placed on the kitchen counters and everyone helped themselves to a great home cooked meal. :-) Jim and Linda said that there was enough food to feed twice as many people and everything that they had was just great!!!
Jim and Linda were so pleased to be welcomed into this warm family gathering. Everyone was so nice and welcomed them with open arms.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! :-)
When it was time to leave, Don told Jim about a shorter way to get back here to the CG in Bluff City. He said that Jim should turn CLT to the left at the end of the driveway and follow Cross Mountain Road up to the top of the mountain and then take another left and it would bring them right into Elizabethton and then back here to the CG.
So. . . . that's what Jim did, and wow!!! Talk about scenic!!!!
CLT said that the road wound up and up and around and around. Some of the grades were so steep that after taking curves at 10 to 20 mph, Jim had to put CLT's transmission all the way down into 1st gear to get going again!! The scenery was spectacular and when they reached the top, there was a little gravel pull-off and this is what the view was like.
Beautiful country. ;-)
It was about 6:00 when Jim backed CLT in along side of me. Jenny sent some food home with Jim and Linda and after getting it put away, they both sat down and talked about what a great day they had. After a while, Linda drank one of her "shakes" and Jim had a delicious ham sandwich. ;-)
Thanks again, Jenny and Don, for the great meal and the wonderful hospitality. Jim and Linda will remember this day for many years to come.
Did you know that it was in the early 1700's, when for the first time, eggs were dyed and the credit for starting this practice in America can be attributed to Pennsylvania Dutch (German) settlers
Saturday, April 23, 2011
A Great Visit With Jenny And Don
Bluff City, TN
50 Deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. partly sunny, SW wind @ 5 to 15 mph.
Jim and Linda did a little house cleaning in me yesterday morning in anticipation of Jenny and Don coming for a visit. Because it was raining off and on most of the morning and early afternoon, no one was out and about much, so they spent part of the time watching TV.
About 4:30, Jenny and Don pulled up in front of me and came inside where everyone sat and talked for about an hour. Then, the discussion turned to deciding where to go out to eat at. It was finally decided that they would go to the Mayflower Seafood Restaurant in Elizabethton which is about 10 miles from here.
Jim said that he had the Deviled Crab and Linda had Whitefish. Both said that the food was really good and were glad that Don and Jenny suggested the Mayflower. Of course the best part of the meal was being able to share it and visit with Jenny and Don. ;-)
After the meal Don and Jenny took Jim and Linda up to see the Watauga Dam and Lake. They said that it is way back up in the mountains and to get there you take a very narrow curvy roads running right along side of a river. They said the scenery was beautiful but didn't think that the roads up there would be too good for a vehicle my size.
When they got back here, Jim got out his camera and snapped this photo of Jenny and Don.
And then this photo of Jenny and Linda.
After that, Jim gave his camera to Don and he got this photo of Linda, Jenny and Jim.
It was a great visit and Jim, Linda, Jenny and Don really seemed to enjoy each others company. They also got to know each other much better and learned a little more about their personal lives.
Today I think Linda is going to do some laundry and Jim will probably start getting me ready to travel on Monday.
Now, I can hear you asking, "Why is he going to start getting you ready to travel today if you're not leaving until Monday"? Well, you see, Jenny and Don have invited Jim and Linda to come up to Mountain City, (where Jenny and Don live), on Sunday to share Easter dinner with them and Jenny's family. :-)
Jim told Jenny that that wasn't necessary and didn't want to intrude on their family's Holiday dinner, but Jenny wouldn't have it any other way and insisted that Jim and Linda come.
Isn't that great????? Such nice folks. :-)
Did you know that Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25?
Thanks Jenny and Don, for dinner and the great tour of the area.
50 Deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 81 deg. partly sunny, SW wind @ 5 to 15 mph.
Jim and Linda did a little house cleaning in me yesterday morning in anticipation of Jenny and Don coming for a visit. Because it was raining off and on most of the morning and early afternoon, no one was out and about much, so they spent part of the time watching TV.
About 4:30, Jenny and Don pulled up in front of me and came inside where everyone sat and talked for about an hour. Then, the discussion turned to deciding where to go out to eat at. It was finally decided that they would go to the Mayflower Seafood Restaurant in Elizabethton which is about 10 miles from here.
Jim said that he had the Deviled Crab and Linda had Whitefish. Both said that the food was really good and were glad that Don and Jenny suggested the Mayflower. Of course the best part of the meal was being able to share it and visit with Jenny and Don. ;-)
After the meal Don and Jenny took Jim and Linda up to see the Watauga Dam and Lake. They said that it is way back up in the mountains and to get there you take a very narrow curvy roads running right along side of a river. They said the scenery was beautiful but didn't think that the roads up there would be too good for a vehicle my size.
When they got back here, Jim got out his camera and snapped this photo of Jenny and Don.
Today I think Linda is going to do some laundry and Jim will probably start getting me ready to travel on Monday.
Now, I can hear you asking, "Why is he going to start getting you ready to travel today if you're not leaving until Monday"? Well, you see, Jenny and Don have invited Jim and Linda to come up to Mountain City, (where Jenny and Don live), on Sunday to share Easter dinner with them and Jenny's family. :-)
Jim told Jenny that that wasn't necessary and didn't want to intrude on their family's Holiday dinner, but Jenny wouldn't have it any other way and insisted that Jim and Linda come.
Isn't that great????? Such nice folks. :-)
Did you know that Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25?
Thanks Jenny and Don, for dinner and the great tour of the area.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!
Bluff City, TN.
58 Deg. partly cloudy, NE wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. mostly cloudy with showers and t-storms. S. winds @ 5 to 15 mph.
We left the CG here in Bluff City right at 6:30 AM to head over to Stowers Caterpillar which is only 15 miles from here. Being that most of the distance was on local roads, it took us 25 minutes to get there.
Once there, Jim went inside to let them know that we were there and then came back out, unhooked CLT and then backed me into the one and only empty shop bay.
By 7:00 Chris, (the head mechanic) was hooking a computer up to my engine and checking for fault codes.
After a few tests the, computer showed that #3 and #4 injectors had misfired, causing the hesitation going up the hills/mountains.
So. . . What did this mean? Well, it meant that Chris would have to take the valve cover off of the center set of cylinders and possibly have to change out the injectors and more than $400 each!!!! :-(
Jim raised the bed for Chris so that he could get at the top of my engine and he proceeded to remove the cover. (The second one up from the bottom on this photo) After he had the cover off and had removed the "Jake Brake" valve actuators that are over the injectors, he checked them and then asked Jim to come back into the bedroom to see what he had found.
"So, what did he find?" you ask. Well he found that one of the wires, (the one that is common to both of the electronically controlled injectors), had come loose and was losing connection and causing the misfire of both cylinders.
So, instead of a cost of $800 or more for new injectors, plus labor, it just cost Jim and Linda about 2 hours labor. ;-) After Chris tightened the connection and put everything back together, he had Jim take me for a test drive out on the Interstate where there was a big hill. And you know what? My engine seems to be running fine!!! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!
Folks, if you are in the Bristol TN area and have a CAT engine in your RV and are having problems with it, or just need normal maintenance, I can highly recommend Stower CAT. They are more than fair, honest, (they could have easily sold Jim and Linda 2 new injectors), and very friendly to RVers. Chris put paper down on all my carpeted areas where he would be walking and was very careful not to get any dirt or grease on any my interior surfaces.
By 10:05, my bill was paid, Jim had hooked CLT back up to me, and we were pulling out of the drive at the repair facility. By 10:35 we were back here at the Lakeview RV park and Jim was backing me back into my site. :-)
After returning and getting me hooked back up to the utilities, Jim helped Linda get a load of laundry washing and then they both took naps. For dinner, they went to a Perkins Restaurant and had breakfast for dinner.
After they got back here, Jim called Jenny and Don, who were at the Rally and live about 40 miles from here in Mountain City. Jenny and Don are going to come and see me this afternoon and then they're all going out to dinner.
It should be fun. ;-).
Did you know that the name Easter owes its origin from Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess who symbolizes hare and egg?
58 Deg. partly cloudy, NE wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 72 deg. mostly cloudy with showers and t-storms. S. winds @ 5 to 15 mph.
We left the CG here in Bluff City right at 6:30 AM to head over to Stowers Caterpillar which is only 15 miles from here. Being that most of the distance was on local roads, it took us 25 minutes to get there.
By 7:00 Chris, (the head mechanic) was hooking a computer up to my engine and checking for fault codes.
So. . . What did this mean? Well, it meant that Chris would have to take the valve cover off of the center set of cylinders and possibly have to change out the injectors and more than $400 each!!!! :-(
"So, what did he find?" you ask. Well he found that one of the wires, (the one that is common to both of the electronically controlled injectors), had come loose and was losing connection and causing the misfire of both cylinders.
So, instead of a cost of $800 or more for new injectors, plus labor, it just cost Jim and Linda about 2 hours labor. ;-) After Chris tightened the connection and put everything back together, he had Jim take me for a test drive out on the Interstate where there was a big hill. And you know what? My engine seems to be running fine!!! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!
Folks, if you are in the Bristol TN area and have a CAT engine in your RV and are having problems with it, or just need normal maintenance, I can highly recommend Stower CAT. They are more than fair, honest, (they could have easily sold Jim and Linda 2 new injectors), and very friendly to RVers. Chris put paper down on all my carpeted areas where he would be walking and was very careful not to get any dirt or grease on any my interior surfaces.
By 10:05, my bill was paid, Jim had hooked CLT back up to me, and we were pulling out of the drive at the repair facility. By 10:35 we were back here at the Lakeview RV park and Jim was backing me back into my site. :-)
After returning and getting me hooked back up to the utilities, Jim helped Linda get a load of laundry washing and then they both took naps. For dinner, they went to a Perkins Restaurant and had breakfast for dinner.
After they got back here, Jim called Jenny and Don, who were at the Rally and live about 40 miles from here in Mountain City. Jenny and Don are going to come and see me this afternoon and then they're all going out to dinner.
It should be fun. ;-).
Did you know that the name Easter owes its origin from Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess who symbolizes hare and egg?
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Lakeview RV Pk. Photos, A Small World and A Call To The Mechanic
Bluff, City, TN.
54 Deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. becoming mostly cloudy with a 70% chance of t-storms. SW wind @ 5 to 15 mph with higher gusts during storms.
Yesterday was a beautiful day, so Jim got out his camera and took some photos here in the park. I thought I'd share them with you. :-)
When you come down US 11 this is the sign you see for the Lakeview RV Park
Once you turn it and travel about a block, you come to the office where they have the usual supplies and camping gadgets that most offices have. The lady in the office was very nice and told Jim that if he needed anything, he should let them know.
As you can see by the above photo the park is terraced and in fact, there are about 4 or 5 levels in the park.
This is me backed into my site which is just a little way from the lake.
You can see a narrow part of the lake behind CLT and me in the above photo.
This is the view from the rear of me looking off to the left while facing the lake.
And this is the view directly behind me.
This is a pretty nice park with fairly large sites, full hook-up, 30/50 amp service, cable TV and excellent wi-fi. The people seem friendly and at about $20.00 per night (Passport America), for a "premium" site on the lake it's not too expensive either.
I'm sure we'd stay here again if we come back to this area.
Yesterday morning Jim was catching up on the Blogs he reads and when he checked out long time friends, Darrell and Judy's Blog, Wandering America, he realized that they were in this park too!!! Well, Jim has Darrell's phone number and he was just about to dial their number when the phone rang and it was Darrell. After a little conversation Jim headed up to their site, (right behind the office), and talked to them for just a little while. They had just pulled in for the night and were leaving yesterday morning to continue their trip up to New England.
It had been a couple of years since Jim and Linda had seen them, but as happens so many times with full-timers that follow each others blogs, it was like they had just seen each other a few days ago.
What a small world! :-)
When Jim got back from visiting with them, he called the mechanic that Jenny had told him about to see if he could come here to the park to check out my problem. Well, the mechanic was off yesterday, but the man that Jim talked to said that he would have him call Jim this morning;
Later in the morning, Denny, one of the "Illinois Bunch" called from Illinois and talked to Jim about my problem. He had an idea about what might be wrong and after checking something out, Jim said that he may have come up with the cause of my engine misfire when climbing hills.
Jim still needs the mechanic to come and check it out though.
About noon, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to a Food City grocery store to restock the groceries that had been used in the last week and a half or so. When they got back and got everything put away, they both took little naps.
For dinner, Jim cooked a steak out on the grill and Linda cooked Kohlrabi, sliced tomatoes with provolone cheese, and dinner rolls inside. It sure did smell good!! ;-)
Did you know that on this day in 1999, two teenage gunmen kill 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, south of Denver?
Safe Travels, Darrell and Judy. :-)
54 Deg. clear, no wind
Forecast today = high temp. 79 deg. becoming mostly cloudy with a 70% chance of t-storms. SW wind @ 5 to 15 mph with higher gusts during storms.
Yesterday was a beautiful day, so Jim got out his camera and took some photos here in the park. I thought I'd share them with you. :-)
Once you turn it and travel about a block, you come to the office where they have the usual supplies and camping gadgets that most offices have. The lady in the office was very nice and told Jim that if he needed anything, he should let them know.
This is a pretty nice park with fairly large sites, full hook-up, 30/50 amp service, cable TV and excellent wi-fi. The people seem friendly and at about $20.00 per night (Passport America), for a "premium" site on the lake it's not too expensive either.
I'm sure we'd stay here again if we come back to this area.
Yesterday morning Jim was catching up on the Blogs he reads and when he checked out long time friends, Darrell and Judy's Blog, Wandering America, he realized that they were in this park too!!! Well, Jim has Darrell's phone number and he was just about to dial their number when the phone rang and it was Darrell. After a little conversation Jim headed up to their site, (right behind the office), and talked to them for just a little while. They had just pulled in for the night and were leaving yesterday morning to continue their trip up to New England.
It had been a couple of years since Jim and Linda had seen them, but as happens so many times with full-timers that follow each others blogs, it was like they had just seen each other a few days ago.
What a small world! :-)
When Jim got back from visiting with them, he called the mechanic that Jenny had told him about to see if he could come here to the park to check out my problem. Well, the mechanic was off yesterday, but the man that Jim talked to said that he would have him call Jim this morning;
Later in the morning, Denny, one of the "Illinois Bunch" called from Illinois and talked to Jim about my problem. He had an idea about what might be wrong and after checking something out, Jim said that he may have come up with the cause of my engine misfire when climbing hills.
Jim still needs the mechanic to come and check it out though.
About noon, Jim and Linda took CLT and headed to a Food City grocery store to restock the groceries that had been used in the last week and a half or so. When they got back and got everything put away, they both took little naps.
For dinner, Jim cooked a steak out on the grill and Linda cooked Kohlrabi, sliced tomatoes with provolone cheese, and dinner rolls inside. It sure did smell good!! ;-)
Did you know that on this day in 1999, two teenage gunmen kill 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, south of Denver?
Safe Travels, Darrell and Judy. :-)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sevierville To Bluff City and I'm Not Feeling Very Well
Bluff City, TN.
50 deg. partly cloudy, NE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. mostly sunny, breezy with SW winds @ 15 to 20 mph.
After some more h and h (hugs and handshakes), we left the CG in Sevierville about 10:10 yesterday morning and headed back up Rt 66 to I-40. Once on 40 we headed East until we came to I-81 and then headed NE on it until we got up to Bristol. There we turned SE on Rt 394 and then SW a few miles on US 11 until we came to the Lakeview RV Park.
It was 12:10 when we pulled up to the office, so it took us 2 hours to travel 102 miles.
Now, about me not feeling very well. You see, even before we got to the Rally I was starting to have problems. Nothing major, just a some hesitation once in awhile while I was climbing a hill. While we were at the rally, Jim crawled under me and drained some fuel out of my primary fuel filter to see if there was any water in the fuel, but there wasn't. He didn't want to fool with it at the rally and being that it didn't seem too severe, figured that he could address the problem here at Bluff City, where he knew we'd be staying for a week.
Well, when we left Sevierville, my engine was running quite well, and it seemed like the problem might even be gone. But. . . . as we traveled down the Interstate, it came back and the farther we went the worse it got. I still ran fine when just driving down the road, but as many of you know there are a lot of hills on those sections if Interstate and my condition seemed to get worse every hill that I had to climb.
By the time we got to the turn-off at Bristol, I was real glad to be getting off of the Interstate. :-{
Now, there were 2 reasons for picking this CG. First of all it's fairly near where Jenny J, (who was at the rally and is a good friend of Jim and Linda's), lives, and it's a Passport America park where we can stay for a week and wait for the Easter holiday to pass.
At the Rally, Jim had told Jenny and Don that he thought I might have a problem and asked Jenny and Don to check to see if there was someone in this area who could look at me once we got here. Well, Jenny called yesterday and said that she had found someone who was recommended to her and gave Jim his phone number.
So, this morning, Jim will call the mechanic and see if he will come here to the park to check me out and try to figure out what's wrong. Hopefully it will be something minor like a blocked fuel filter or something. I suppose it's possible that one of my drinks of that good old #2 diesel fuel was contaminated. :-(
Did you know that Bluff City experienced several name changes before incorporating on July 1, 1887 under its current name? The town was originally known as Choate’s Ford, and later took the name Middletown.
50 deg. partly cloudy, NE wind @ 5 mph.
Forecast today = high temp. 85 deg. mostly sunny, breezy with SW winds @ 15 to 20 mph.
After some more h and h (hugs and handshakes), we left the CG in Sevierville about 10:10 yesterday morning and headed back up Rt 66 to I-40. Once on 40 we headed East until we came to I-81 and then headed NE on it until we got up to Bristol. There we turned SE on Rt 394 and then SW a few miles on US 11 until we came to the Lakeview RV Park.
It was 12:10 when we pulled up to the office, so it took us 2 hours to travel 102 miles.
Now, about me not feeling very well. You see, even before we got to the Rally I was starting to have problems. Nothing major, just a some hesitation once in awhile while I was climbing a hill. While we were at the rally, Jim crawled under me and drained some fuel out of my primary fuel filter to see if there was any water in the fuel, but there wasn't. He didn't want to fool with it at the rally and being that it didn't seem too severe, figured that he could address the problem here at Bluff City, where he knew we'd be staying for a week.
Well, when we left Sevierville, my engine was running quite well, and it seemed like the problem might even be gone. But. . . . as we traveled down the Interstate, it came back and the farther we went the worse it got. I still ran fine when just driving down the road, but as many of you know there are a lot of hills on those sections if Interstate and my condition seemed to get worse every hill that I had to climb.
By the time we got to the turn-off at Bristol, I was real glad to be getting off of the Interstate. :-{
Now, there were 2 reasons for picking this CG. First of all it's fairly near where Jenny J, (who was at the rally and is a good friend of Jim and Linda's), lives, and it's a Passport America park where we can stay for a week and wait for the Easter holiday to pass.
At the Rally, Jim had told Jenny and Don that he thought I might have a problem and asked Jenny and Don to check to see if there was someone in this area who could look at me once we got here. Well, Jenny called yesterday and said that she had found someone who was recommended to her and gave Jim his phone number.
So, this morning, Jim will call the mechanic and see if he will come here to the park to check me out and try to figure out what's wrong. Hopefully it will be something minor like a blocked fuel filter or something. I suppose it's possible that one of my drinks of that good old #2 diesel fuel was contaminated. :-(
Did you know that Bluff City experienced several name changes before incorporating on July 1, 1887 under its current name? The town was originally known as Choate’s Ford, and later took the name Middletown.
Monday, April 18, 2011
2011 Spring Rally Day 6, The Final Day
Sevierville, TN.
43 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg, partly cloudy, S. wind @ 5 to 15 mph.
All of the folks that were here for the rally got up early and headed to the Banquet Hall for the Farewell Breakfast. Jim and Linda got there about 7:45 and there were only a few folks there, but they started serving right at 8:00 anyway. By 8:15 the Banquet Hall was almost full and everyone was enjoying a great breakfast. :-)
After the Breakfast, Howard and Linda thanked everyone and then it was time for h and h which also included a lot of laughter and a few tears as old and new friends parted ways and headed off to their RVs.
Again, it was a great Rally with lots of great people. :-)
For Jim and Linda the rest of the morning and afternoon was spent watching TV and starting to get things ready to leave today. After Jim took a little nap in the afternoon, they took CLT and headed to a convenience store where they bought bread and milk. Then they came back here and watched the end of the race.
It was a pretty good race with an exciting finish, but I for one am not too pleased about the two by two racing that they are doing on the large tracks. I liked it much better when they used to do the 2, 3, 4, or more car draft, and then at the end it was everyone for themselves.
After a sandwich for dinner, Jim and Linda headed over to Howard and Linda's site because they had started a campfire and had invited everyone who was still here from the Rally to come on over. I was kind of surprised that there were still about 35 Rally attendees here. About 9:00 it started getting pretty chilly and so Jim and Linda said their good-bye's had headed back here.
Still another great day. :-)
A Point to Ponder : Why isn't sour cream really sour?
43 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = high temp. 76 deg, partly cloudy, S. wind @ 5 to 15 mph.
All of the folks that were here for the rally got up early and headed to the Banquet Hall for the Farewell Breakfast. Jim and Linda got there about 7:45 and there were only a few folks there, but they started serving right at 8:00 anyway. By 8:15 the Banquet Hall was almost full and everyone was enjoying a great breakfast. :-)
After the Breakfast, Howard and Linda thanked everyone and then it was time for h and h which also included a lot of laughter and a few tears as old and new friends parted ways and headed off to their RVs.
Again, it was a great Rally with lots of great people. :-)
For Jim and Linda the rest of the morning and afternoon was spent watching TV and starting to get things ready to leave today. After Jim took a little nap in the afternoon, they took CLT and headed to a convenience store where they bought bread and milk. Then they came back here and watched the end of the race.
It was a pretty good race with an exciting finish, but I for one am not too pleased about the two by two racing that they are doing on the large tracks. I liked it much better when they used to do the 2, 3, 4, or more car draft, and then at the end it was everyone for themselves.
After a sandwich for dinner, Jim and Linda headed over to Howard and Linda's site because they had started a campfire and had invited everyone who was still here from the Rally to come on over. I was kind of surprised that there were still about 35 Rally attendees here. About 9:00 it started getting pretty chilly and so Jim and Linda said their good-bye's had headed back here.
Still another great day. :-)
A Point to Ponder : Why isn't sour cream really sour?
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