Saturday, January 03, 2004
Summary
Trailer miles 7,322; Truck miles 17,233
Parking $3516.97; Gas $3056.35
Parking $3516.97; Gas $3056.35
Friday, January 02, 2004
Gold Canyon RV & Golf Resort, Gold Canyon, AZ - Dec 26-Jan 1
We were invited to stay at this elegant resort (including its own par-3 golf course that Doug did not play) by Pat & Dennis Wood, very good friends that we met on the road and keep in close contact with. We would not normally be able to afford such fancy digs, but there was a cheap one-time introductory rate for a week.
It was truly a blast getting together again with P&D. This is the third year in a row that we've seen the New Year in with them. We spent the early part of the evening playing games with them & another couple. The other couple and Dennis headed for bed around 10:30, so Pat, Willie & Doug decided to check out the party at the clubhouse. We got there about 11:15 and were invited in when they caught us dancing outside the room (the Hokey-Pokey). We all danced & generally made fools of ourselves until just before midnight when the Champagne was distributed for a New Year's toast. We even had those silly hats & noise makers.
We got together most evenings for card games. We all went to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, which has desert plants from around the world. Pat & Dennis took us to some of their favorite places in the Eastern suburbs of Phoenix, including Changing Hands Bookstore, a truly special place. P&D have a new cat, "Mr. P", a Cornish Rex, which looks like an tiny, skinny Siamese, but is as soft as can be and is very affectionate. We were totally in love with him by the time we left. We also got some technical support from Dennis to get motivated to purchase a wireless bus connector so we can hook up to the Internet using WiFi whenever it is available. This is a high speed internet connection that many locations have, which you can purchase by the day, week or month. It is at many Starbucks, Flying J and McDonald locations, just to mention a few. Plus RV parks are starting to have it available. We used it successfully to update our Windows software but haven't found it available since. Heck, in these remote areas we're lucky to get cellphone reception!!
It was truly a blast getting together again with P&D. This is the third year in a row that we've seen the New Year in with them. We spent the early part of the evening playing games with them & another couple. The other couple and Dennis headed for bed around 10:30, so Pat, Willie & Doug decided to check out the party at the clubhouse. We got there about 11:15 and were invited in when they caught us dancing outside the room (the Hokey-Pokey). We all danced & generally made fools of ourselves until just before midnight when the Champagne was distributed for a New Year's toast. We even had those silly hats & noise makers.
We got together most evenings for card games. We all went to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, which has desert plants from around the world. Pat & Dennis took us to some of their favorite places in the Eastern suburbs of Phoenix, including Changing Hands Bookstore, a truly special place. P&D have a new cat, "Mr. P", a Cornish Rex, which looks like an tiny, skinny Siamese, but is as soft as can be and is very affectionate. We were totally in love with him by the time we left. We also got some technical support from Dennis to get motivated to purchase a wireless bus connector so we can hook up to the Internet using WiFi whenever it is available. This is a high speed internet connection that many locations have, which you can purchase by the day, week or month. It is at many Starbucks, Flying J and McDonald locations, just to mention a few. Plus RV parks are starting to have it available. We used it successfully to update our Windows software but haven't found it available since. Heck, in these remote areas we're lucky to get cellphone reception!!
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Madison Driveway, Tucson, AZ - Dec 18-25
This is one of our favorite "boondocking" sites, although it doesn't strictly qualify since we're hooked up to both water & 20-amp elec. Still, the price is right and the management couldn't be friendlier. The surrounding natural AZ landscape is also one of the loveliest views we have, with the desert plants and the Catalina mountains as a backdrop and many desert birds outside our windows.
We timed our stay to coincide with a visit by Doug's daughter Erin & her husband Bryan. We thought they were staying longer, and had to rush our arrival when we found they could only stay a couple of days. It was wonderful seeing them, even though the time together was way too brief. Doug's brother Rodger and his family were also able to come down for a few hours the day after Erin & Bryan left. Rodge's 16-year-old daughter Kerry was playing in a basketball tournament in Phoenix and her coach gave permission for her to be away long enough for this short visit. This was a special time for everyone, too. The weather was ideal our entire stay, and Doug got to play golf with his Dad every possible day but one, with Willie driving the cart and providing necessary moral support. Erin & Bryan even got to spend time at the golf course. We had three carts and only two golfers -- definitely a family outing!!
We celebrated Christmas by opening presents with Doug's Dad & Gertie. Then the two of us enjoyed a tasty buffet at an Indian restaurant and afterwards took in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. That evening we walked through Winterhaven, a Tucson subdivision renown for its Christmas light displays. It is a fairly large area, so we walked for over two hours.
We timed our stay to coincide with a visit by Doug's daughter Erin & her husband Bryan. We thought they were staying longer, and had to rush our arrival when we found they could only stay a couple of days. It was wonderful seeing them, even though the time together was way too brief. Doug's brother Rodger and his family were also able to come down for a few hours the day after Erin & Bryan left. Rodge's 16-year-old daughter Kerry was playing in a basketball tournament in Phoenix and her coach gave permission for her to be away long enough for this short visit. This was a special time for everyone, too. The weather was ideal our entire stay, and Doug got to play golf with his Dad every possible day but one, with Willie driving the cart and providing necessary moral support. Erin & Bryan even got to spend time at the golf course. We had three carts and only two golfers -- definitely a family outing!!We celebrated Christmas by opening presents with Doug's Dad & Gertie. Then the two of us enjoyed a tasty buffet at an Indian restaurant and afterwards took in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. That evening we walked through Winterhaven, a Tucson subdivision renown for its Christmas light displays. It is a fairly large area, so we walked for over two hours.
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Mountain View RV Park, Bowie, AZ - Dec 16-17
This is a very small Passport park, which was certainly not widely used. We were the only people who actually stayed two nights! We planned this stop because the town was close to Chiricahua Natl Monument, which we wanted to visit. We started out for our visit and found that the road was closed for the day because they were replacing a cattle guard. Of course there was no warning of this before we had driven about 10 miles in. At this point, making the circle of 50-60 miles to get there the long way seemed out of the question. 
We consulted our map and some roadside signs and discovered we were quite near Fort Bowie Natl Historic Site, a place that is really in the middle of nowhere, but is quite fascinating when you "get to know it". It was set up in 1862 after the Battle of Apache Pass, to protect the road through the pass as well as a nearby natural spring, which were both terrorized for many years by Apaches led by Cochise and Geronimo. The fort protected the route for emigrants, prospectors, soldiers and most importantly the Butterfield Overland Mail route. Butterfield delivered mail twice a week from Memphis and St Louis to San Francisco. In it's three-year history, the mail was late only three times!! When the fort was abandoned in 1894 after the Indians were all captured or killed, all usable items were scavenged by nearby residents, so all that remains is the foundations of the buildings and some artifacts. There is a lovely hiking trail that takes you past many interesting places with excellent signage about the history of the area. Many myths of the "cowboys & Indians" era are revised!Monday, December 15, 2003
El Rancho Lobo RV Park, Deming, NM - Dec 14-15
Back again in Deming, we're trying out yet another Passport America park. This one is about 10 miles east of Deming. It's on a ranch and is quite isolated. It's just fine for our short stay, but I think I'd want a bit more going on here or to be closer to town for a longer stay. Deming has gotten a new Wal-Mart Supercenter since we were here last, so we had to include that in our day's outings. We also visited the local arts center, which has a display of Christmas trees.
The cats (and us too!) are holding up well under the forced march across Texas. This is definitely the time of year to be settled down somewhere warm and not constantly on the road!! We are looking forward to getting to the Benson SKP co-op and staying for a month or so.
The cats (and us too!) are holding up well under the forced march across Texas. This is definitely the time of year to be settled down somewhere warm and not constantly on the road!! We are looking forward to getting to the Benson SKP co-op and staying for a month or so.
Saturday, December 13, 2003
El Campo RV Park, Van Horn, TX - Dec 12-13
Van Horn is another Texas crossroads at a watering hole town. Their motto is "The town is so healthy we had to shoot a man to start a cemetery"! It should be "The wagon train broke down, otherwise no one would have stopped". There isn't usually much going on here, so we were pleasantly surprised (actually we sort of planned it) to find that they were having their annual lighted Christmas parade. This is an event that is written up in all their tourist literature, so we looked forward to attending it. It actually consisted of about 15 "floats", with only about 4 of them what you would call floats. The rest were cars/golf carts/emergency equipment decorated with lights. There was sort of a street carnival afterwards with craft booths. a few food booths, carolling and the lighting of the outside tree. Afterwards we enjoyed driving around the neighborhoods looking at the lighted houses.
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Parkview RV Park, Fort Stockton, TX - Dec 10-11
We chose this rather dumpy park because it's Passport America. The half-price spots are all within 50 yards of a US highway. Of course, we could have spent over twice as much for an equally dumpy park by an Interstate. Such is camping in west Texas.Fort Stockton started as Camp Stockton in 1858. It protected travelers and settlers on the roads & trails that made use of the abundant water supply here. The town is now a stopping point for people on their way to more interesting places.
Texans think nothing of driving several hundred miles, so by that standard there are a lot of places "nearby". While resting up here you can visit several historical museums, take a nice driving tour of historic buildings & sites (which we took & enjoyed), and visit the nearby Ste. Genevieve Winery. Unfortunately, winery tours are only given on Weds & Sat, so we missed out on that. Doug has found their wines to be quite enjoyable.Tuesday, December 09, 2003
Caverns of Sonora RV Park, Sonora, TX - Dec 7-9
This was supposed to be a 2-night stop (and probably SHOULD have been a 1-night stop!), but the wind advisories for the day we were planning to leave made us change our plans. The caverns are described by Natl Speleological Society: "Its beauty cannot be exaggerated, even by Texans". We toured the caverns, visiting what they call the Crystal Palace as part of the long tour, and were quite impressed. These caverns are not as large as some we have seen, but they have an abundance of "decoration" in tiny detail that is probably unsurpassed anywhere. 
They are famous for their helictite formations, which are like stalactites & stalagmites, except that they grow out from the walls at all angles, defying gravity & spiraling around to form enchanting combinations & designs. The more you look the more intricate forms you find.The campground is basically a parking lot with about 10 pull-through spaces. You are up on a bluff in the middle of a large working sheep & goat ranch. It is quite peaceful.
Saturday, December 06, 2003
Oakwood RV Resort, Fredericksburg, TX - Dec 4-6
This was an okay Passport America park located about 2 miles south of town. If we come back again, we will probably stay at the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park just a mile further south, which has quite attractive winter rates for longer stays and is also a more attractive park. We enjoyed Fredericksburg a lot -- it is especially attractive at Christmas time. The town is famous for its shops and German heritage. Its motto is "German heritage, Texan hospitality". There are many many shops containing lovely things that we can't afford and don't have room for anyway -- but it's fun to look. There was one specialty food store that had samples of all their food out to taste. You could make a lunch of it there was so much variety. Beware of the Habanero Salsa though!! It was QUITE spicy.
Willie has always wanted to see Luckenbach, TX, (famous from the song) so we stopped by on our way out to the LBJ Ranch historical site. And things were hopping at the Luckenbach saloon that day -- the beer was cold, there were singers and storytellers and lots of strangers buying everyone beers, so we never made it to the Ranch (quite a different type of day for us).
Friday evening was the beginning of Fredericksburg's Christmas market & festival (Weihnachten). There was a parade of lighted floats and special lights in the town park (Marktplatz). The parade was quite long with lots of festive floats. There was a Luckenbach float & they recognized us! At the Marktplatz they had a Christmas market with people selling locally made items of all types. Inside one tent was a Christmas Tree Forest -- trees were decorated & donated by local organizations and available for purchase by silent auction, with proceeds going to local charities. They also had a stage (called the Glockenspiel Stage) which had live performances during the day. We saw an abbreviated Nutcracker ballet and enjoyed it -- after playing in scores of Nutcrackers ourselves, we both thought 50 minutes was just about right. Saturday afternoon we went to a Christmas concert by the Fredericksburg Chorale that was quite good, but didn't have any of the "holiday favorites" we were hoping for.
Willie has always wanted to see Luckenbach, TX, (famous from the song) so we stopped by on our way out to the LBJ Ranch historical site. And things were hopping at the Luckenbach saloon that day -- the beer was cold, there were singers and storytellers and lots of strangers buying everyone beers, so we never made it to the Ranch (quite a different type of day for us).Friday evening was the beginning of Fredericksburg's Christmas market & festival (Weihnachten). There was a parade of lighted floats and special lights in the town park (Marktplatz). The parade was quite long with lots of festive floats. There was a Luckenbach float & they recognized us! At the Marktplatz they had a Christmas market with people selling locally made items of all types. Inside one tent was a Christmas Tree Forest -- trees were decorated & donated by local organizations and available for purchase by silent auction, with proceeds going to local charities. They also had a stage (called the Glockenspiel Stage) which had live performances during the day. We saw an abbreviated Nutcracker ballet and enjoyed it -- after playing in scores of Nutcrackers ourselves, we both thought 50 minutes was just about right. Saturday afternoon we went to a Christmas concert by the Fredericksburg Chorale that was quite good, but didn't have any of the "holiday favorites" we were hoping for.
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
Wilson H Fox COE Park, Granger Lake, TX - Dec 2-3
This is a lovely Corps of Engrs cg, very unused at this time of year. We shared the park with about 4 other rigs. We did a little birdwatching near the lakeshore and watched a fisherman who had been having amazing luck until we came along to watch. We drove into the nearby town of Taylor in the evening to see the holiday display of lights on their municipal buildings (and enjoyed the sight of Venus and Mercury setting just after sunset). I hope people who put up decorations on their houses out in the middle of nowhere have some idea of the pleasure they bring to strangers passing through. Monday, December 01, 2003
Park on the Lake, Willis, TX - Nov 30-Dec 1
We added this stop to have more time to visit with Dave & Diane, since we didn't have enough time on Thanksgiving. This park is where they are staying and also happens to be a Passport America park. In case you have forgotten, Passport America is a half-price camping club that we belong to. We had also hoped to attend a Christmas concert which one of the tourist handouts listed as being on 12/1. Unfortunately, the concert was on 12/2, and we felt we needed to keep to our "schedule". We had a nice dinner out with Dave & Diane instead! We really have a good time eating together!
The Hickory Farms shop that Dave & Diane were working at was located in the Conroe Discount Mall. We visited their store and had a pleasant afternoon finishing up our Christmas shopping -- and also found a couple of items we "needed"!!
The Hickory Farms shop that Dave & Diane were working at was located in the Conroe Discount Mall. We visited their store and had a pleasant afternoon finishing up our Christmas shopping -- and also found a couple of items we "needed"!!
Saturday, November 29, 2003
Rainbow's End, Livingston, TX - Nov 24-29
This is the Natl HQ for the Escapees (SKP) organization as well as the home base for many full-time RVers. It is wonderfully friendly with lots of activities. Unfortunately, one of our favorites, Line Dancing, was held at 8 am. We aren't known for our early outings, but we made an exception in this case and went every day. We also enjoyed the daily 4pm social hours and played bridge almost every evening. We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at Cracker Barrel in Conroe, TX, with old SKP friends Dave & Diane West, who are working at a Hickory Farms store for two months in Conroe, and new SKP friends Larry & Claudia King, who are also working for HF in the area.
Back at Rainbow's End we were able to partake of the post Thanksgiving leftover potluck the next day, so we got the best of both worlds!! The leftovers were wonderful as usual.
Back at Rainbow's End we were able to partake of the post Thanksgiving leftover potluck the next day, so we got the best of both worlds!! The leftovers were wonderful as usual.
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Quiet Oaks RV Park, Fenton, LA - Nov 22-23
This is a really cheap Passport America park located just south of Kinder, LA. It is not so quiet when the trains pass by, but luckily that doesn't seem to be too often.
Friday, November 21, 2003
Country Livin RV Park, Libuse, LA - Nov 20-21
We've been here before. It's behind a gas station, not too expensive and about 4 miles from our cousins, so very convenient for visiting. Unfortunately, the move took up most of Thursday, so we didn't get to do any tourist activities that day. Then we realized that in all the confusion in MS we had neglected to do a fairly major scheduled maintenance on the truck. We called and could amazingly get an appt for Friday. So that was our Friday outing! Not quite the relaxing time we had planned to spend with Joe & Marilyn. Hopefully, they will still want us back.
We also managed to update our virus-checking software and discovered we had several of the worm-type viruses on our new Dell computer (including the famous Blaster Worm). We were able to destroy them and download the fix from Microsoft. Luckily, we use the old computer for our emails, so we didn't pass this on to anyone else (we hope!).
We also managed to update our virus-checking software and discovered we had several of the worm-type viruses on our new Dell computer (including the famous Blaster Worm). We were able to destroy them and download the fix from Microsoft. Luckily, we use the old computer for our emails, so we didn't pass this on to anyone else (we hope!).
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Stuart Lake Rec Area (NFS), Pollock, LA - Nov 17-19
This pretty primitive CG is located about 20 miles north of Willie's cousins and our friends Joe & Marilyn Black, who live in Pineville, LA (right next to Alexandria). The sites all were located deep in tall pines, so we decided to try camping in a parking area with more solar exposure. The clouds were so thick it was hard to tell if it would help. We hoped it would be permissable to camp here since there was no ranger to ask and no way of finding one. The weather turned really bad that night, and the next day we learned that a tornado had touched down quite close by. We had hoped we were out of "tornado territory"! We had a wonderful visit with Joe & Marilyn, enjoying their company and also the fabulous Chocolate Pie that Marilyn is famous for. We did some interesting sightseeing, visiting the River Oaks Square Arts Center in Alexandria, with works of local artists on display, plus studios where you can see works in progress. We also took a lovely drive past Kent Plantation and Tyrone Plantation, plus some lovely newly constructed "mansions". We got a private tour by a friend of Joe & Marilyn's of the unusual Emmanuel Baptist Church -- unusual for several reasons. First, it is in a Gothic style, and secondly, it has figured stained-glass windows -- 27 beautiful stained-glass windows with antique glass imported from Scotland. There is also a full pipe organ which was demonstrated for us.Unfortunately, just as the sun came out and we verified that we would have good solar in our "illegal" parking place, we got word from the ranger (by way of a very sweet note from Bobby Joe Ray, an assistant to the ranger) that we would have to move. Since our battery had not had time to get fully charged, we did not think it would last two more nights in the woods, so we had to give up and move to electric hookups.
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Rocky Springs CG on the Natchez Trace near Port Gibson, MS - Nov 15-16
This is our favorite park on the Trace, except it is always so hard to get into because it is full of Canadians (mostly French-speaking) who are trying to camp as much as possible for free due to their shrinking dollar. We got into a spot with marginal solar exposure, and then it proceeded to turn quite cloudy & rainy. We therefore shortened our planned 3-night stay into 2 nights. We met an interesting couple from Fairbanks, AK, wintering south for the first time (with their dog) in their VERY SMALL Class C Motorhome.
Friday, November 14, 2003
Jeff Busby CG on the Natchez Trace near Ackerman, MS - Nov 13-14
This is our least favorite of the 3 free cgs located on the Natchez Trace. Still, we can't complain since the price is right and the location was excellent for visiting the lawyer (for our final time! YAY!) in Louisville. We also had a final bridge game with Willie's cousin Ann and her sister Joyce, some of our favorite players. They recently got their Life Masters, so they offer good competition, as well as wonderful friendship.
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
DeWayne Hayes COE Rec Area, Columbus, MS - Oct 26-Nov 12
We came back here to take care of some things with Ann, Willie's mom, and finish up the legalities involved in closing Tony's estate. The weather was still quite warm (too warm for us actually -- we discovered our A/C is definitely broken) but it was truly fall. Leaves and nuts were constantly falling from the trees. We were fairly lucky in that we were parked under a hickory nut tree (nuts the size of ping pong balls that sounded quite loud when they hit our roof frequently) and not the Black Walnut (nuts the size of tennis balls!), which was over our patio. The Water Hyacinths were still blooming in the swampy areas and were lovely to see & smell. We also saw our first Prairie Warbler in the trees near our campsite.Of course we went back to our regular bridge groups and enjoyed playing there very much. We had one really good showing, but for the most part we were placing near the bottom.
We took Ann to doctor and dentist appointments and took care of the same for us. We also took her to Noxapater in a rental car (more festive than the truck) for her birthday outing. She got to see how her former house had been redecorated by her nephew (complete with deer heads on the walls!), who owns it now, visited a couple of people and had a nice lunch out.
We usually stayed around the campground in the evening, enjoying walks in the moonlight with lovely views of Mars and the Lunar Eclipse on 11/9. One of our bridge acquaintances told us of a Japanese style puppet theater program that was happening on the campus of MS College for Women (the "W") one evening. It sounded too interesting to pass up, and it was. After some confusion over location and time, we finally found it and enjoyed it thoroughly. The large puppets were operated not by strings but manually by at least two people dressed entirely in black. It was interesting how much emotion could be shown and also how little you noticed the humans in black.
Saturday, October 25, 2003
Lake Lurleen SP, Tuscaloosa, AL - Oct 24-25
This SP seemed a more convenient option than the COE park we stayed at on the way through Tuscaloosa before. However, it was pretty "basic" and well out of cell phone range. Nothing much to recommend it other than location. We managed to squeeze in before it filled up with the Alabama-Tennessee football crowd -- copious quantities of food, booze, and noise.
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Wind Creek SP, Alexander City, AL - Oct 17-23
Wind Creek SP is located on the shore of Lake Martin, one of AL's largest manmade lakes. AL SPs make one really appreciate the quality and price (when you're over 62) of COE parks. While they are attractive, they are not very well maintained and are quite expensive, with only a puny 15% discount for seniors. Still, it was a good place for a rally, and we enjoyed our time here very much. There was a full slate of events, with morning coffees and afternoon social hours daily. Highlights were a tour of the Blue Bell Creameries (ice cream) in Sylacauga (with tasting included!); a tour of the historic town of Tallassee, including lunch and a tour of the historic Hotel Talisi (this being the original spelling of the word by the Creek Indians who were here first); an evening of rather well-performed Karaoke by the Governor's state park liaison; and a magician who succeeded in befuddling everyone with numerous seemingly impossible tricks, despite the fact that he was just a local yokel. It was fun making new friends and visiting with old friends during the rally. Unfortunately, we had to part with friends Fred & Linda here and don't know when we'll betogether next.
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Deerlick COE Campground, Tuscaloosa, AL - Oct 15-16
Most of the CG is on a ridge extending into Holt Lake, with the sites looking down dramatically on the water. We would have loved to spend a few more days here, but because of our 2-day delay getting out of Piney Grove, coupled with our site being reserved for the weekend, we only had one full day. The weather was absolutely ideal, so we decided to spend it indoors with the local bridge club, which we discovered on the web. Unfortunately, the address on the web was wrong, but we managed to find it with the help of a passing postman and rushed in 5 min late. They welcomed us with open arms, however (we had called the night before to make sure it was OK for us to come), and after a complete rearrangement (the rotation in duplicate is dependent on the # of pairs, and we added one more, throwing everything into disarray), they were nice enough to give us the first sit-out, allowing our pulse rates to drop a bit. Word of our unusual living arrangement (fulltimers) quickly spread, and each new couple we played peppered us with comments & questions. One woman even issued us an invitation to dinner that evening. We were unsure what to say, but she assured us that she was completely serious. When she said the only meat they eat is seafood, we graciously accepted. We felt immediately at ease with them, and enjoyed the food & company immensely. Another couple whose wife played bridge that afternoon came. Her husband works for the State Dept (has since JFK & LBJ). He said his work was best described as counterintelligence. He spends much of his time in the White House, or on assignment in some foreign country, including the Middle East. We wished we could have asked him lots of questions!! We enjoyed their company very much and hope to see them when we pass through on our way back to Columbus.
The cats are adapting well to traveling again. They have some days that are better than others -- so do we!! They seem to realize more and more that they'll have their cozy home back when it is over. Email service using our cell phone gets more & more problematic. We think it is due to there being fewer & fewer analog areas, with many of them not having agreements with AT&T. So there are often times when we can't get emails for a couple of days. Don't worry if you don't hear from us immediately. One of these days we'll have to investigate other options, but that's a future project.
The cats are adapting well to traveling again. They have some days that are better than others -- so do we!! They seem to realize more and more that they'll have their cozy home back when it is over. Email service using our cell phone gets more & more problematic. We think it is due to there being fewer & fewer analog areas, with many of them not having agreements with AT&T. So there are often times when we can't get emails for a couple of days. Don't worry if you don't hear from us immediately. One of these days we'll have to investigate other options, but that's a future project.
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Piney Grove COE Rec Area, Dennis, MS (Bay Springs Lake) - Oct 7-14
This is a large CG, also on the Tenn-Tom. We met up with our good friends Fred & Linda Lanoue here on our way to an SKP rally in Alabama. We drove into Tupelo with Fred & Linda one day, but spent most of our time relaxing and walking around the CG. When we were leaving Columbus, Doug had noticed that the gas tank had not filled all the way, but assumed that the problem was with the gas pump. We filled up twice while at Piney Grove, and neither time did the gauge get near "F". Fred thought we might have a dent in our tank, but when we looked under the truck we saw that one of the metal straps holding the gas tank onto the frame had broken, and the tank was slowly slipping downward. It was only a matter of time before the other strap would give way with obvious undesirable results. We called the dealer in Booneville, who did not have the strap, but could get it early the next day. We were unwilling to drive our truck even the 20 miles to Booneville, so we called AAA who sent a truck -- we insisted on a roll-back (the flatbed kind) to keep all the wheels off the ground. We all piled into the front cab of the tow-truck for an amusing ride (the driver was an interesting local) to the Dodge dealer, who reassured us that the part was indeed on its way. We then had to rent a car (options: broken seatback or flat tire) to get home and back again the next day to pickup our truck.
Monday, October 06, 2003
DeWayne Hayes COE Rec Area, Columbus, MS - Sept 17-Oct 6
We researched this park before moving to verify they had no ant (or other insect) problems. This is without a doubt the best engineered park we have ever stayed in. It is situated along the Tenn-Tom (Tennessee and Tombigbee) River system along with many other Corps of Engineers (COE) rec areas. Sites are level, spaced nicely, attractive, & the park has a pleasant nature trail. Plus, this was our first opportunity to use Willie's newly-obtained Golden Age pass, so camping was half price! We were the same 8-10 miles from bridge, and 15 miles from HomePlace. We also travelled to Noxapater a few times, for Tuesday games at the Baptist Church and for the annual Cotton Gin Festival. On one of our trips down we ran into a mile-long traffic backup caused by an overturned pet-food truck. We got the details from Willie's cousin David Humphries (pronounced Um-phries) who works for the Highway Patrol. Turns out they contacted the manufacturer, who decided the best way to get rid of the spilled bags of pet food was to give it away, so as cars drove by slowly gawking at the accident, they were asked if they wanted either dog or cat food. This being rural MS, the dog food was going so fast that they started requiring people to take cat food as a condition for getting dog food.On another trip to Noxapater, while listening to NPR we heard about a concert by the Mississippi Symphony on the Tenn-Tom Waterway (with fireworks!). A few phone calls later yielded the time & location -- that evening only 30 miles north of our cg. We decided to go, so we drove directly there from Noxapater, arriving around 6:30. They had us park in the middle of a grass field. The concert was enjoyable, and the fireworks were impressive, made even more so by a barge entering the lock at the same time. Festivities wound down just after 9pm, which gave us enough time to drive back to the campground before they locked the gates at 10. When we got back to the truck, traffic seemed to be split between straight ahead and back the way we came in. I chose the way we came in, and quickly got bogged down in mud that was hiding under the grass. Only then did we remember that when we almost got stuck in Iowa, the front tires were not spinning when we tried engaging 4WD. The same was true here, and we were truly stuck. Our 4WD needs some sort of repair, but that will happen later. We had to call our emergency road-side assistance, who sent a truck from somewhere in Alabama that wouldn't get there for over an hour, so we chatted with the security guards (who could not leave us unsupervised so near a potential terrorist target) until the truck showed up & winched us out. We then drove back, getting to our now-locked campground at 12:30. We walked the remaining 3/4 mile to our site. Our cats were quite happy to see us!
While in Columbus, we found a very nice female vet, so we took Gracie & Trixie in for their checkups & shots. Gracie was diagnosed with early kidney disease, so she is now on a special diet, which means yet another type of catfood to be stocked in our limited space. We are glad we found such a nice, gentle doctor, especially for Gracie who seems so emotionally fragile. The good news is that she really likes the special food.
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Lake Lowndes State Park, Columbus, MS - Sept 10-16
While researching The HomePlace (Ann's assisted living facility), we also checked out this nearby state park, 6 mi from HomePlace (and 8-10 mi from bridge games in Columbus). Our original plan was to stay here our entire time in Columbus. When we checked in, the ranger at the desk warned us that some sites had reported problems with ants. They had recently sprayed, so we hoped the ants would not be a problem. Just in case, we decided to only pay for a week. When we got back to our trailer, there was already a line of ants on our trailer leading up to our roof & windows. We went to the store and bought cleanser to spread around anything & everything that touched the ground, and sprayed outside, all to no avail. Every morning we would still find ants. Lots of ants. Even ants walking across our pillows at night! At the end of our week we ran up the white flag (Black Flag?) and moved across town.
Our stay coincided with the Tennessee Williams Tribute & Tour of Victorian Homes, an annual event in Columbus (birthplace of Williams) celebrated with plays, parties, scholarly papers, etc. We skipped all that and signed up for the Victorian Home Tour. Each year 3 different Victorian homes are selected for the tour. Columbus is rightly famous for both its antebellum and Victorian homes. The homes on the tour were contrasts: one was in the process of being restored (the owners hoped to move into the 2nd floor within the month), the next was a Victorian shell with a completely modern interior, and the last had been remodeled inside (by previous owners) but still retained the original "flavour".
While walking between homes, we passed by Riverview, an antebellum mansion for sale and under the care of Dennis Reed, brother of missionary Edgar Reed who lived across the street from Ann & Tony's house in Noxapater. Edgar's wife had encouraged us to stop & say "Hi" and this seemed the perfect opportunity. Dennis teaches at MSMS, the Mississippi School for Math & Science, an advanced high school where qualifying students receive an accelerated curriculum and normally graduate at the sophomore college level. Dennis is very personable and very knowledgable about Riverview -- he gave us a "private" tour that lasted over 90 minutes, and we were never bored. We even got to climb outside the 4th story cupola and view the city from all 4 sides of the roof porch. He explained the measures that were taken to force symmetry on the building & rooms, including the building of false windows & doors. The selling price is $1.5 million unfurnished, $2.5 million furnished.
Our stay coincided with the Tennessee Williams Tribute & Tour of Victorian Homes, an annual event in Columbus (birthplace of Williams) celebrated with plays, parties, scholarly papers, etc. We skipped all that and signed up for the Victorian Home Tour. Each year 3 different Victorian homes are selected for the tour. Columbus is rightly famous for both its antebellum and Victorian homes. The homes on the tour were contrasts: one was in the process of being restored (the owners hoped to move into the 2nd floor within the month), the next was a Victorian shell with a completely modern interior, and the last had been remodeled inside (by previous owners) but still retained the original "flavour".
While walking between homes, we passed by Riverview, an antebellum mansion for sale and under the care of Dennis Reed, brother of missionary Edgar Reed who lived across the street from Ann & Tony's house in Noxapater. Edgar's wife had encouraged us to stop & say "Hi" and this seemed the perfect opportunity. Dennis teaches at MSMS, the Mississippi School for Math & Science, an advanced high school where qualifying students receive an accelerated curriculum and normally graduate at the sophomore college level. Dennis is very personable and very knowledgable about Riverview -- he gave us a "private" tour that lasted over 90 minutes, and we were never bored. We even got to climb outside the 4th story cupola and view the city from all 4 sides of the roof porch. He explained the measures that were taken to force symmetry on the building & rooms, including the building of false windows & doors. The selling price is $1.5 million unfurnished, $2.5 million furnished.
Monday, September 08, 2003
Steve Weeks CG, Noxapater, MS - July 10-Sept 9
As you can see, we're still in the little "campground" by MS Hwy 15, still gently rocked to sleep by the truck & train traffic. Yet there is a hint of fall in the air, as high temps have dropped to the upper 80s and humidity is down to 60-70%. We actually woke up one morning without condensation on our windows! Our plan is to move to Columbus this Wed to be nearer HomePlace of Columbus, the assisted living facility where Willie's mother Ann is.
Ann's move to HomePlace went very smoothly, thanks to Brother Kevin, pastor, and Brother David, music director, at Noxapater Baptist Church; Willie's sister Cathy, who drove down from Illinois and provided inestimable emotional support for Willie when it was badly needed; and most of all, Ann herself, who graciously accepted the fact that she is unable to live on her own, and accepted the move with a sense of optimistic anticipation. HomePlace allows its residents to furnish their rooms with their own furniture & decorations, so Ann's room at least has the feeling of hominess. Also, Margie Coalson, an old acquaintance of Ann's from Noxapater, is a resident at HomePlace, giving Ann at least one familiar face. There are lots of small issues to deal with, both from Ann's point of view and from Willie's, in this situation, but with support from friends and patience, I think it will work out fine. Ann is doing amazingly well, considering the fact that she was totally pampered & cared for by Willie's dad, Tony, for so many years. She never had to put up with the least little thing that she didn't like.
After the move, we then had the formidable task of preparing the house for sale. We gave Willie's niece, Jennifer Perez, first refusal on any & all items in the house, as long as she would cart it away, so she & her husband Ralph drove down from IL with their 3 children to help organize and hopefully rid us of some of the 30 years worth of stuff collected in the house. The first glitch came when Ralph called to confirm the reservation he had made on a 24' moving van with U-Haul -- they didn't have his truck nor anything else in any size. When Ralph reminded them that he had a reservation, their response was "So what?" After numerous fruitless calls to other rentals, we desperately started calling relatives. We managed to find another similar-sized truck at almost twice the price, and Doug & Ralph were starting to back out of the driveway when Willie frantically came running out with phone in hand -- Cousin Linda had found a 24' truck for less than the original in Starkville, on the way to Columbus. So early the next morning 5 adults & 3 kids piled into a car & a minivan and headed to HomePlace of Columbus to visit Ann and let her meet 2 of the 3 greatgrandchildren for the first time. Afterwards, needless to say, there was not a dry adult eye in the crowd. Jennifer & Cathy then drove the kids back to Noxapater, while Doug & Willie dropped Ralph off in Starkville, hanging around to verify that the truck was actually there. Then came the joy of organizing, packing, and moving most of a houseload of furnishings in a single afternoon. They pulled if off, pulling out of the driveway in the late afternoon on their long drive back to IL. We continued to clear out & give away stuff until the house was pretty empty. People are more "thrifty" here and don't like to see things going to waste.
Most of the required actions for selling the house have been done, appraisal, survey, title search -- even finding a buyer. So now we are in the process of waiting while lawyers, mortgage companies, and the US Postal Service (Willie's sister is the actual owner of house & land) do their thing. We are hoping to get at least the land closed on before we leave town. The house is as empty as we are getting it. The new owner is our cousin, Jim Covington, son of our bridge-playing cousin Ann, so we are leaving him the "leftovers" to use or share with others, as he sees fit. The land will be purchased by Ann's daughter, Linda and her husband, so it will all remain in the family for generations to come. Willie's mom was born here, so it is nice to have it in the family.
Much of our, or more accurately Willie's, time here has been spent handling the estate of her late father. Believe me when I say this is even less fun than it sounds, and it sounds like no fun at all. We are firm believers in the "All work and no play..." adage, and to that end set out to find as much entertainment as we could in rural Mississippi in August. Like bridge -- Willie's cousin Ann & her sister Joyce are recent Life Masters, so we have enjoyed a couple of afternoons with them. Joyce had a nice afternoon of bridge in our honor with some women that they play with regularly. We were ungracious enough to win first & second place!! They also informed us that there is a duplicate bridge group in Columbus, with 4 games per week! We have only been going once a week while staying in Noxapater, visiting Ann Friday mornings and playing bridge in the afternoons. We hope to expand our bridge playing after we move to Columbus for a few weeks. We have also taken advantage of the Senior Fellowship at Noxapater Baptist: potluck and dominos every other Tuesday afternoon at the church. Quite a few of our new-found friends here have invited us over for various games; plus, a couple of old friends, Don & Janet, were on their way from Texas to Alabama and dropped by for a night. We all ate dinner at a local Mexican restaurant (with the most wonderful Poblano Peppers) and then enjoyed an evening of bridge and catching up.
An unfortunate side-effect of all this Southern Hospitality is the addition of more than a few unwelcome pounds on both of us. We have been unable to enjoy our usual walks due to our hectic schedule, the steamy weather, and the visually unappealing location of our trailer. Whatever we think of our location, the cats certainly seem to like it here -- 3 of the 4 weigh as much as they have since we started on the road. Even so, we decided to take them in for their annual check-ups. Now rural MS is not like Boulder, CO, especially when it comes to vet care. After questioning various friends, relatives, and even strangers in stores who were buying quality cat food, we selected a vet. We decided Rainbow & Amber would make the best "Guinea pigs". At least they survived. The examining room was dirty, with no door, so while unpleasant things were being done to the cats, large dogs would walk by only 3 or 4 feet away. They had a terrible time drawing blood for their "geriatric profiles". The vet found that Amber had an infected tooth and asked his aide to bring him a needle-nose pliers -- he was going to try to yank it out then & there without anesthesia. Even though I was speechless, I think the look on my face dissuaded him from that course of action. He did anesthetize her and remove it, and she seems to have suffered no ill effects, thank goodness. Watching your cat go under anesthesia is way too much like watching one being euthanized. We were both so happy when we were able to see Amber starting to move again. She remained groggy throughout the evening & was nowhere to be seen when we went to bed. At about 3 am, she came whining into the bed, looking for her favorite place to snuggle between us. We smiled and said "Amber's back"! We have kept a close eye on her since then, and she seems to have had no ill effects. Rainbow's neck is still quite shaved-looking from where they drew the blood.
Shortly after arriving here, there was an article in the Jackson newspaper describing a catfish exhibit. Many of you know that a recurring theme in our travels is our stumbling on exhibits of decorated fiberglass animals: bears in Knoxville, geese in Longmont, ponies in Carlsbad. Well Jackson MS has catfish, and they may well be our most favorite yet. Most were painted, some more imaginative than others, but a few were real gems: "Atticus" the lawyer with horn-rim glasses and legs; "Cleocatra" sitting on a throne with crown & royal robe; "Southern Bell" with hard-hat & tool-belt, climbing a phone pole, just to name a few. We took 54 photos and didn't shoot them all. On the way home we stopped at Target & PetsMart, then decided that although we were a couple of weeks late, we should celebrate Willie's 62nd B-day with Indian food. We found an Indian restaurant nearby and got there just as they were opening at 5pm. The food was excellent, but we didn't get out until well after 7 -- the service was slow, and after our main courses were served they kept bringing out more food for us to try. We were already too full to eat anything else, but finally agreed to rice pudding. Quite bizarre, all in all. But of course we'd go back!
One benefit of Willie's turning 62 (besides Social Security) is the Golden Age Pass -- free entry to Natl Parks, Monuments, etc and half-price camping! Willie couldn't wait to get hers, but had to, due to numerous unforeseen problems. Finally, the following week, she was able to buy her pass. We drove a good distance out of our way to visit the COE headquarters near Columbus to get it. We won't be able to use it until some time in October, but it will be wonderful to have. The MS State parks offer almost as good of a deal on camping rates for people over 62, so we will stay at a state park while in Columbus.
Our birdwatching has been quite limited, both from lack of time and lack of interest in going outside into the moist, hot woodlands. We did observe something we have been trying to see for years along the road between Louisville & Starkville. In Willie's earliest bird book there is a photo of Cattle Egrets actually sitting on the back of cattle. We have always wanted to see this. We finally found a whole herd of cows, lying in the shade, with several Cattle Egrets on top. We turned around to view it more closely.
Although our location has quite a bit of security lighting, the spectacular view of Mars this month has been quite visible for us -- that is, when the haze and cloud cover permit. One evening we went over to the Rainwater Observatory, located at French Camp Academy (about 40 miles from Noxapater), for a special program on Mars. It was actually one of a series of programs, this particular one being on early looks at Mars through telescopes. We also got to look at Mars (the clouds actually parted for a very short time!) through some telescopes from their very dark area. We could actually see a few of the "features" -- a polar cap and some of the darker shading.
We took one other small outing -- to Sciple's Mill, the "Oldest Continuously Operated Water Mill in the USA that still grinds corn for the public six days per week", located about 35 miles southwest. It was built around 1790 and is quite rustic & interesting to see. We bought some yellow cornmeal and are looking forward to tasty cornbread from it. We were able to sit for a few moments in two old rocking chairs and hear the water running over the small waterfalls there.
Despite the heat and basic feelings of not wanting to move around much, Doug did get a few major maintenance items done on the trailer. He had 4 new all-steel tires put on the trailer (you will remember that he had a major blowout on the way down here, so all tires were pretty well shot). This was a lot more trouble than it sounds, because they actually put on regular steel-belted, not understanding the difference, and it took a bit to convince them otherwise. Doug also replaced our storage area locks (the kind that about 50% of people in the RVing world have duplicate keys to) with cylinder locks that are a lot more secure. We like the local Dodge dealer and were also able to get some minor things done on the truck -- unfortunately the cost wasn't "minor"!
We will sell Willie's parents' car to Brother Kevin tomorrow as one of our last things "to do" before leaving town. He has been so much help to us that we'd almost like to just give it to him. Willie is not sure she could have managed without their support (both his, his wife Vicki's and other church members). It is much harder to deal with putting a parent in an assisted living home than it is to put one in their grave -- at least in our case.
Ann's move to HomePlace went very smoothly, thanks to Brother Kevin, pastor, and Brother David, music director, at Noxapater Baptist Church; Willie's sister Cathy, who drove down from Illinois and provided inestimable emotional support for Willie when it was badly needed; and most of all, Ann herself, who graciously accepted the fact that she is unable to live on her own, and accepted the move with a sense of optimistic anticipation. HomePlace allows its residents to furnish their rooms with their own furniture & decorations, so Ann's room at least has the feeling of hominess. Also, Margie Coalson, an old acquaintance of Ann's from Noxapater, is a resident at HomePlace, giving Ann at least one familiar face. There are lots of small issues to deal with, both from Ann's point of view and from Willie's, in this situation, but with support from friends and patience, I think it will work out fine. Ann is doing amazingly well, considering the fact that she was totally pampered & cared for by Willie's dad, Tony, for so many years. She never had to put up with the least little thing that she didn't like.
After the move, we then had the formidable task of preparing the house for sale. We gave Willie's niece, Jennifer Perez, first refusal on any & all items in the house, as long as she would cart it away, so she & her husband Ralph drove down from IL with their 3 children to help organize and hopefully rid us of some of the 30 years worth of stuff collected in the house. The first glitch came when Ralph called to confirm the reservation he had made on a 24' moving van with U-Haul -- they didn't have his truck nor anything else in any size. When Ralph reminded them that he had a reservation, their response was "So what?" After numerous fruitless calls to other rentals, we desperately started calling relatives. We managed to find another similar-sized truck at almost twice the price, and Doug & Ralph were starting to back out of the driveway when Willie frantically came running out with phone in hand -- Cousin Linda had found a 24' truck for less than the original in Starkville, on the way to Columbus. So early the next morning 5 adults & 3 kids piled into a car & a minivan and headed to HomePlace of Columbus to visit Ann and let her meet 2 of the 3 greatgrandchildren for the first time. Afterwards, needless to say, there was not a dry adult eye in the crowd. Jennifer & Cathy then drove the kids back to Noxapater, while Doug & Willie dropped Ralph off in Starkville, hanging around to verify that the truck was actually there. Then came the joy of organizing, packing, and moving most of a houseload of furnishings in a single afternoon. They pulled if off, pulling out of the driveway in the late afternoon on their long drive back to IL. We continued to clear out & give away stuff until the house was pretty empty. People are more "thrifty" here and don't like to see things going to waste.
Most of the required actions for selling the house have been done, appraisal, survey, title search -- even finding a buyer. So now we are in the process of waiting while lawyers, mortgage companies, and the US Postal Service (Willie's sister is the actual owner of house & land) do their thing. We are hoping to get at least the land closed on before we leave town. The house is as empty as we are getting it. The new owner is our cousin, Jim Covington, son of our bridge-playing cousin Ann, so we are leaving him the "leftovers" to use or share with others, as he sees fit. The land will be purchased by Ann's daughter, Linda and her husband, so it will all remain in the family for generations to come. Willie's mom was born here, so it is nice to have it in the family.
Much of our, or more accurately Willie's, time here has been spent handling the estate of her late father. Believe me when I say this is even less fun than it sounds, and it sounds like no fun at all. We are firm believers in the "All work and no play..." adage, and to that end set out to find as much entertainment as we could in rural Mississippi in August. Like bridge -- Willie's cousin Ann & her sister Joyce are recent Life Masters, so we have enjoyed a couple of afternoons with them. Joyce had a nice afternoon of bridge in our honor with some women that they play with regularly. We were ungracious enough to win first & second place!! They also informed us that there is a duplicate bridge group in Columbus, with 4 games per week! We have only been going once a week while staying in Noxapater, visiting Ann Friday mornings and playing bridge in the afternoons. We hope to expand our bridge playing after we move to Columbus for a few weeks. We have also taken advantage of the Senior Fellowship at Noxapater Baptist: potluck and dominos every other Tuesday afternoon at the church. Quite a few of our new-found friends here have invited us over for various games; plus, a couple of old friends, Don & Janet, were on their way from Texas to Alabama and dropped by for a night. We all ate dinner at a local Mexican restaurant (with the most wonderful Poblano Peppers) and then enjoyed an evening of bridge and catching up.
An unfortunate side-effect of all this Southern Hospitality is the addition of more than a few unwelcome pounds on both of us. We have been unable to enjoy our usual walks due to our hectic schedule, the steamy weather, and the visually unappealing location of our trailer. Whatever we think of our location, the cats certainly seem to like it here -- 3 of the 4 weigh as much as they have since we started on the road. Even so, we decided to take them in for their annual check-ups. Now rural MS is not like Boulder, CO, especially when it comes to vet care. After questioning various friends, relatives, and even strangers in stores who were buying quality cat food, we selected a vet. We decided Rainbow & Amber would make the best "Guinea pigs". At least they survived. The examining room was dirty, with no door, so while unpleasant things were being done to the cats, large dogs would walk by only 3 or 4 feet away. They had a terrible time drawing blood for their "geriatric profiles". The vet found that Amber had an infected tooth and asked his aide to bring him a needle-nose pliers -- he was going to try to yank it out then & there without anesthesia. Even though I was speechless, I think the look on my face dissuaded him from that course of action. He did anesthetize her and remove it, and she seems to have suffered no ill effects, thank goodness. Watching your cat go under anesthesia is way too much like watching one being euthanized. We were both so happy when we were able to see Amber starting to move again. She remained groggy throughout the evening & was nowhere to be seen when we went to bed. At about 3 am, she came whining into the bed, looking for her favorite place to snuggle between us. We smiled and said "Amber's back"! We have kept a close eye on her since then, and she seems to have had no ill effects. Rainbow's neck is still quite shaved-looking from where they drew the blood.
Shortly after arriving here, there was an article in the Jackson newspaper describing a catfish exhibit. Many of you know that a recurring theme in our travels is our stumbling on exhibits of decorated fiberglass animals: bears in Knoxville, geese in Longmont, ponies in Carlsbad. Well Jackson MS has catfish, and they may well be our most favorite yet. Most were painted, some more imaginative than others, but a few were real gems: "Atticus" the lawyer with horn-rim glasses and legs; "Cleocatra" sitting on a throne with crown & royal robe; "Southern Bell" with hard-hat & tool-belt, climbing a phone pole, just to name a few. We took 54 photos and didn't shoot them all. On the way home we stopped at Target & PetsMart, then decided that although we were a couple of weeks late, we should celebrate Willie's 62nd B-day with Indian food. We found an Indian restaurant nearby and got there just as they were opening at 5pm. The food was excellent, but we didn't get out until well after 7 -- the service was slow, and after our main courses were served they kept bringing out more food for us to try. We were already too full to eat anything else, but finally agreed to rice pudding. Quite bizarre, all in all. But of course we'd go back!
One benefit of Willie's turning 62 (besides Social Security) is the Golden Age Pass -- free entry to Natl Parks, Monuments, etc and half-price camping! Willie couldn't wait to get hers, but had to, due to numerous unforeseen problems. Finally, the following week, she was able to buy her pass. We drove a good distance out of our way to visit the COE headquarters near Columbus to get it. We won't be able to use it until some time in October, but it will be wonderful to have. The MS State parks offer almost as good of a deal on camping rates for people over 62, so we will stay at a state park while in Columbus.Our birdwatching has been quite limited, both from lack of time and lack of interest in going outside into the moist, hot woodlands. We did observe something we have been trying to see for years along the road between Louisville & Starkville. In Willie's earliest bird book there is a photo of Cattle Egrets actually sitting on the back of cattle. We have always wanted to see this. We finally found a whole herd of cows, lying in the shade, with several Cattle Egrets on top. We turned around to view it more closely.
Although our location has quite a bit of security lighting, the spectacular view of Mars this month has been quite visible for us -- that is, when the haze and cloud cover permit. One evening we went over to the Rainwater Observatory, located at French Camp Academy (about 40 miles from Noxapater), for a special program on Mars. It was actually one of a series of programs, this particular one being on early looks at Mars through telescopes. We also got to look at Mars (the clouds actually parted for a very short time!) through some telescopes from their very dark area. We could actually see a few of the "features" -- a polar cap and some of the darker shading.
We took one other small outing -- to Sciple's Mill, the "Oldest Continuously Operated Water Mill in the USA that still grinds corn for the public six days per week", located about 35 miles southwest. It was built around 1790 and is quite rustic & interesting to see. We bought some yellow cornmeal and are looking forward to tasty cornbread from it. We were able to sit for a few moments in two old rocking chairs and hear the water running over the small waterfalls there.
Despite the heat and basic feelings of not wanting to move around much, Doug did get a few major maintenance items done on the trailer. He had 4 new all-steel tires put on the trailer (you will remember that he had a major blowout on the way down here, so all tires were pretty well shot). This was a lot more trouble than it sounds, because they actually put on regular steel-belted, not understanding the difference, and it took a bit to convince them otherwise. Doug also replaced our storage area locks (the kind that about 50% of people in the RVing world have duplicate keys to) with cylinder locks that are a lot more secure. We like the local Dodge dealer and were also able to get some minor things done on the truck -- unfortunately the cost wasn't "minor"!
We will sell Willie's parents' car to Brother Kevin tomorrow as one of our last things "to do" before leaving town. He has been so much help to us that we'd almost like to just give it to him. Willie is not sure she could have managed without their support (both his, his wife Vicki's and other church members). It is much harder to deal with putting a parent in an assisted living home than it is to put one in their grave -- at least in our case.
Thursday, July 17, 2003
Steve Weeks CG, Noxapater, MS July 10-???
Willie's dad (Tony) had recently learned that he had blockages in both carotid arteries. They first gave him blood thinners to keep him from having a major stroke. Then they scheduled the first surgery for 6/30 so took him off the blood thinners until after the surgery. The surgery went well, and he came home on 7/2. He felt fine from the surgery, but he had a very sore throat due to a yeast infection from some of the pre-op medications. No matter what he took, he was in constant pain in his throat. This was very wearing on him and he needed some physical & moral support. After Willie talked with him on Sat 7/5, she decided she should fly down 7/6 & help him out for a "few days". Friends picked her up at the Jackson airport around 2:15 on Sun. They had spoken with Tony just before they came to get her, and he was so happy she was almost there. When they walked into the house, Tony appeared to be napping, but on closer examination he was not breathing and was too still. EMTs were called but he had been dead too long. It was a very sad time, but Willie was so glad she got to see how peacefully he went and also to be there for her mother.
Now back to Doug, who when last heard from was alone up at Lighthouse Rock CG in Wisconsin. He made plans to leave as soon as he got some last minute things tended to. He planned as quick a trip as he thought possible, heading out on Tues 7/7. He went about 350 miles the first day -- double the distance of our average travel day's mileage -- and it took him 10 hours. It was a day filled with horrible road construction (at one point it took 90 min to go 17 miles), torrential rains, nearby tornadoes and then the final blow (pun intended!), a flat tire on one of the 4 trailer tires about 20 miles from his planned destination. He drove the short distance to the cg with only 3 tires and then called the repair service to put on the spare. Now he had to come the rest of the way with no spare, since the old tire had disintegrated and was not able to be repaired.
His second day of travel went smoothly, to the point of tedium, and the only problem was extreme heat, which took its toll on him and all the cats. They again went 350 miles and were glad to get stopped and get the a/c running. The third day, while not totally uneventful, was better because it was only 250 miles and had Willie at the end of it. Again, there were heavy rains, plus a really horrible bumpy stretch of interstate in TN that caused all the dishes to fall out of the cupboard and land in a pile of shards on the floor. Being Corelle, the shards made it look much worse than it actually was. After cleaning up the minute pieces, we found that we had only lost 2 dinner plates and 2 salad plates.
The graveside burial service was held on Friday, July 11, with just the family attending. Saturday a Memorial Service was held at Noxapater Baptist Church, where he was a member and active volunteer. Willie's sister, brother-in-law, niece & nephew were able to be there, too. All went as well as can be expected.
Willie's mother, Ann, is legally blind and also very frail, so she cannot stay by herself. The house & land are too much to try to work out a way for her to stay with paid help (plus reliable help would be hard to find & manage). She has decided to move to an assisted living home in Columbus, MS. It is near enough that she will get visits from friends from Noxapater. We all visited it and found it to be quite pleasant, plus there is already a woman friend from Noxapater living there who is looking forward to Ann's coming there. We plan for her to move in around August 1. This is going to be quite a physical & emotional challenge for all of us involved.
Willie is executor of her father's estate, plus the only one here to deal with all that is involved in getting her mother moved and the property she now owns sold, so we will be enjoying the lovely MS summer weather for a while yet.
We have no plans beyond getting Ann moved into her new place and clearing the stuff out of the house and tending to legal matters. We had recently made "plans" to head back west for the fall and winter, but those have been thrown on the trash heap. We both do not want to go far away from where Ann will be until we see how things are going here. Once the weather is not so very hot, there are some interesting places we can visit nearby and still come back to visit Ann.
This little "by the side of the highway" cg is quite basic. The big trucks (mainly logging trucks) rock us to sleep at night. Luckily, the electricity is VERY good. We can run our a/c and all other electrical items without worry. The water pressure is good. The cats think it is a fine place -- they just want to be settled down with their people!! The a/c runs 24 hrs a day, so it helps drown out the traffic noise. More good news -- it doesn't look like we will have to worry about Labor Day weekend crowds!!
Now back to Doug, who when last heard from was alone up at Lighthouse Rock CG in Wisconsin. He made plans to leave as soon as he got some last minute things tended to. He planned as quick a trip as he thought possible, heading out on Tues 7/7. He went about 350 miles the first day -- double the distance of our average travel day's mileage -- and it took him 10 hours. It was a day filled with horrible road construction (at one point it took 90 min to go 17 miles), torrential rains, nearby tornadoes and then the final blow (pun intended!), a flat tire on one of the 4 trailer tires about 20 miles from his planned destination. He drove the short distance to the cg with only 3 tires and then called the repair service to put on the spare. Now he had to come the rest of the way with no spare, since the old tire had disintegrated and was not able to be repaired.
His second day of travel went smoothly, to the point of tedium, and the only problem was extreme heat, which took its toll on him and all the cats. They again went 350 miles and were glad to get stopped and get the a/c running. The third day, while not totally uneventful, was better because it was only 250 miles and had Willie at the end of it. Again, there were heavy rains, plus a really horrible bumpy stretch of interstate in TN that caused all the dishes to fall out of the cupboard and land in a pile of shards on the floor. Being Corelle, the shards made it look much worse than it actually was. After cleaning up the minute pieces, we found that we had only lost 2 dinner plates and 2 salad plates.
The graveside burial service was held on Friday, July 11, with just the family attending. Saturday a Memorial Service was held at Noxapater Baptist Church, where he was a member and active volunteer. Willie's sister, brother-in-law, niece & nephew were able to be there, too. All went as well as can be expected.
Willie's mother, Ann, is legally blind and also very frail, so she cannot stay by herself. The house & land are too much to try to work out a way for her to stay with paid help (plus reliable help would be hard to find & manage). She has decided to move to an assisted living home in Columbus, MS. It is near enough that she will get visits from friends from Noxapater. We all visited it and found it to be quite pleasant, plus there is already a woman friend from Noxapater living there who is looking forward to Ann's coming there. We plan for her to move in around August 1. This is going to be quite a physical & emotional challenge for all of us involved.
Willie is executor of her father's estate, plus the only one here to deal with all that is involved in getting her mother moved and the property she now owns sold, so we will be enjoying the lovely MS summer weather for a while yet.
We have no plans beyond getting Ann moved into her new place and clearing the stuff out of the house and tending to legal matters. We had recently made "plans" to head back west for the fall and winter, but those have been thrown on the trash heap. We both do not want to go far away from where Ann will be until we see how things are going here. Once the weather is not so very hot, there are some interesting places we can visit nearby and still come back to visit Ann.
This little "by the side of the highway" cg is quite basic. The big trucks (mainly logging trucks) rock us to sleep at night. Luckily, the electricity is VERY good. We can run our a/c and all other electrical items without worry. The water pressure is good. The cats think it is a fine place -- they just want to be settled down with their people!! The a/c runs 24 hrs a day, so it helps drown out the traffic noise. More good news -- it doesn't look like we will have to worry about Labor Day weekend crowds!!
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
Leaving Lighthouse Rock CG - July 7
We saw some interesting tourist sights, including the very famous House on the Rock. As luck would have it, we got in free due to reciprocal agreements for volunteers with the Intl Crane Foundation. After going through the original house part (which took about 1/2 hour), our reaction was "We're glad we didn't pay full price for this". 90 minutes later we were passing a sign saying we were about 1/4 of the way through, and we hadn't even gotten to the antique music machines or the carousel. We were there for about 4 1/2 hours and were pretty numb by the end. I don't think the admission price is out of line, but I sure wish they had cheaper mini-tours -- see 1/4 of it for $7, something like that. We loved how they walked you through the pizza area just after they told you that you were only 1/4 of the way along!! Of course we had to get some -- it was actually quite good. We ate our lunch for dinner at a state park on the way home, since we didn't eat it at HotR. It is not a place that is conducive to a picnic lunch.
We also visited the Circus Museum in Baraboo. We chose to go on the day they were loading up the Circus Train which was headed for the Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee, an annual event. The museum & grounds were of some appeal, but we were really glad to have gotten in free (another of those reciprocal agreements!). However, the train loading was quite entertaining (they still use the big draft horses just like in the old days) with sort of a street fair atmosphere. Some of the circus wagons were 100 years old.
We continued to enjoy our volunteering at the Intl Crane Fndn and had just gotten started on some interesting tasks (one involving crane chicks) when we had to leave. We will miss the people we met there and feel bad that we had to let them down just as we were starting to be "useful".Monday, July 07, 2003
Tragic News - July 7
Willie's Dad, Tony, had surgery last Wednesday, seemed to come out of it fine, but then did not seem to recover, was in a lot of pain, and was suffering from anxiety attacks. Willie flew down Sunday to be with him, but Tony passed away before she got there. Doug is still is Wisconsin, and plans to drive down to Mississippi starting 7/8, aiming to arrive in Noxapater 7/10. Needless to say, this had thrown our plans into complete uncertainty. We will almost certainly need to stay in Mississippi for at least a month, possibly longer. Tony Haynes was a truly kind, gentle, loving man and his passing weighs heavily on both of us.Monday, June 23, 2003
Lighthouse Rock Campground, Reedsburg, WI - June 15-July 14
This is our home for a month while we visit friends Fred & Linda Lanoue, who are workamping at nearby Wisc Dells, and volunteer some time at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo. We picked this cg, since it is located about 20 miles from most of the tourist attractions. As a result, it is more peaceful and also a good bit cheaper. It meets our needs well, but I wouldn't recommend it on anyone's "must visit" list.
However we would put the ICF (www.savingcranes.org) on that list. It is a wonderful place, dedicated to the worldwide conservation of cranes and the wetland, grassland and other ecosystems on which they depend. ICF was founded in 1973 and today operates programs in captive breeding, reintroduction, research, habitat protection and public education. Eleven of the world's 15 crane species are threatened with extinction. You can see all 15 species at ICF. Our volunteer work so far has consisted mainly of stuffing envelopes for mailings, some site maintenance (pulling nettles & watering planters) and some feather labeling (feathers found in the cages are saved & labeled to be used as educational props in the future). We will also be doing some data entry of data from the spring crane count and hopefully some substitute Chick Parenting.
The cats are doing well and all but Gracie seem to be happy here. Gracie seems to be going into one of her "down" periods again, where she doesn't eat much and gets sick a lot. She definitely does not like the humidity & heat here!!
A couple of interesting birding notes: we spotted a blue-winged warbler at Parfrey's Glen with Fred & Linda, and we have heard a northern saw-whet owl twice in the night. If we hear it again, we plan to go out and search for it. We're not sure how much success we can hope for, since they are quite small -- about 8 inches high according to our field guide. We haven't heard it since the cg got full of weekend visitors, but we are hoping it will call again when the cg is more quiet.
Saturday, June 14, 2003
Bulger's Hollow, Clinton, IA - June 11-14
This cute little Corp of Engineers park on the Mississippi River was not our planned destination when we left New Windsor, IL, and we had more excitement than we care for in finding it. We had originally planned to camp about 30 miles north at Pleasant Creek CG in Bellevue, another park right on the MS River -- almost right under the river, as a matter of fact. As Doug pulled into the lovely camping spot we had picked out, thick mud oozed up into our tire tracks through what had looked like dry grass; once he stopped, he could not get moving again. 
We had to unhook the trailer, drive the truck away, put lynx levelers (square plastic orange thingys normally used for putting under trailer tires to level it) in the holes left by the truck tires, then rehitch by backing the truck onto the levelers. They gave us just enough traction that we could get going, and didn't stop until we were back on the gravel road. We then dug all the leveling blocks out of the mud and decided to try a different place.
After going 30 miles south along the MS River, our day's route closely resembled a backwards question mark, with our starting place being the bottom and our destination, while about 150 miles actually driven, being about 50 miles from where we started. Bulger's Hollow was dry and free of mud, with the same spectacular view of the MS River. 
Both cgs are primitive COE areas, with access to water spigots, outhouses, and dump stations and cost only $4/night ($2 when you have a Golden Age or Access Passport -- which Willie will have in just over a month!). It was a lovely camping spot and we mostly had the place to ourselves. The cg is located between the RR tracks and the river, so it was quite exciting when the trains passed by -- they had to toot, since it was an unregulated crossing. They seldom came by during the night, so it didn't bother us much. I can't say the same for the cats!
We went on a loop drive on part of the Great River Road, dual highways that parallel the river on both sides from Minnesota all the way down to Louisiana. On the way we drove through Sabula, IA, "The Island City", located on an island in the MS River -- about as east as you can go and still be in IA! It is an attractive city and has a nice city cg, but unfortunately you have to go under a 12'3" bridge to get to it, and that's a little low for our rig -- at least too low to risk it. Across the river from Sabula is Savanna, IL, home to MS Palisades SP. Palisades is the word used to describe a line of lofty, steep cliffs, usually seen along a river. We drove through the park, checking out the attractive cg, and stopped at many scenic overlooks. We hiked one short but steep trail which had a lovely view of the river.
We continued our circular drive south, stopping at the visitor center of the Upper MS River Natl Wildlife & Fish Refuge on the way to Fulton, IL, and Clinton, IA. This NWR is located all along the northern part of the MS River and has numerous boat launching spots and lookout platforms, but the only camping available is by boat on islands. The town of Fulton is home to Lock & Dam 14, which we were able to see in action, and "De Immigrant" an authentic Dutch windmill, built in the Netherlands specifically for Fulton. 
The mill was partially assembled in the Netherlands, then disassembled and transported to Fulton by ship, rail, and truck. Two Dutch masons arrived with it, and, using only hand-trowels, cleaned the old mortar off the bricks (salvaged from two buildings in the Netherlands, 120- and 150-years old -- they have very small landfills there so have to reuse when possible) and built the Welcome Center and mill. The job lasted 10 months. The windmill sits along a flood control dike which protects the town from frequent flooding. It is operated by volunteer millers who operate the mill and give demonstrations whenever conditions and miller availability allow. Grain from the mill (along with many other Dutch-inspired souvenirs) is sold at the gift shop. It is surrounded by a lovely park, giving it a very photogenic setting.
We spent another day at Maquoketa Caves SP in Maquoketa, IA, about 30 miles NW of Clinton. This SP contains 14 caves with varying levels of accessibility. We hiked past the entrance to many caves, but only looked into the entrances. Most of them required crawling along a muddy floor to enter the larger cave areas. However, 1100-foot-long Dancehall Cave has concrete walkways and a lighting system, so we could walk its entire length. You actually enter, go under a rather low section and are then in a large room, fairly cut off from either entrance. The walkways were somewhat under water, and the lighting was dim enough that it was easy to get a feeling of the claustrophobia that could set in during a "real" caving experience. It was quite cool inside the cave, making quite a contrast to the 80-degree day and the 90+ humidity when exiting. Needless to say, with all the humidity, the vegetation everywhere was lush and green, with lots of blooming wildflowers.
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Shady Lakes RV Park, New Windsor, IL - June 5-10
We continued across IL to the Western side to camp near Mike & Kim. This very nice Passport America park is located about 25 miles south of Rock Island, where they live. We visited them several times at their lovely new (to them) home. We were able to celebrate Mike's birthday together at a delicious cook-your-own steak & seafood place, followed by a round of mini-golf. Doug had the nerve to beat his nephew! On Saturday they came down to visit at the RV (limited time inside due to Mike's serious allergies to cats). Then we all went over to the Rhubarb Festival in the nearby town of Aledo. There were many interesting crafts to see as well as a delicious fish fry with rhubarb dessert. An interesting aside about the town name -- they were unable to agree upon a name for their town, so they decided to draw letters from a hat until they formed something pronounceable. This resulted in the name Aledo. And speaking of pronounceable, Illinois has its own unique way of pronouncing its city names, such as Cairo (KAY-row), Marseilles (Mar-SALES), San Jose (San Joes), and Milan (MY-lan), just to name a few.We liked it here at the park so well that we extended our stay several days after the time we could spend with Mike & Kim. We were able to take a nice drive beside the MS River going on the Great River Road, both on the IL side and the IA side. We found many interesting state parks and campgrounds along the way and think the Great River Road would be an interesting "project" for future travels.
We will either leave tomorrow or Weds (depending on the weather) and head to IA for a brief stop before heading for WI on Sunday.
Just as we finished up this edition of our "tripnews" and were finalizing it to send, some unfortunate (and unknown) set of circumstances caused the computer to gobble it up, leaving us with nothing but a blank email. After several hours of re-creating, we have come up with something close to the original. Hope it doesn't seem too "stale".
Wednesday, June 04, 2003
Starved Rock SP, Utica, IL - June 2-4
This park is located in Central Illinois and was chosen because of its reputation for lovely hiking trails and interesting birds. It is best known for its fascinating rock formations and for the sparkling waterfalls formed by spring runoff at the head of its 18 canyons. Unfortunately, we were too late in the year for waterfalls and most of the interesting birds had moved on, but we got to walk on some of the trails. With the weather being "iffy", we opted for a drive through Marseilles and Ottawa and back to Utica and Peru one day. Sounds a lot more "international" than central IL! We visited briefly Illini SP, which we found to be undesirable for future camping. We stopped at Buffalo Rock SP, a day use area noted for the "Effigy Tumuli", a form of earth art as a tribute to Indian mounds, located atop a 1 1/2-mile-long bluff. The ground has been sculpted (using heavy equipment) into a snake, a turtle, a catfish, a frog and a water strider. We hiked the trail past several of them, and quite honestly, we wouldn't have known they were there if not for the interpretive signage.
We also stopped at the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center on the Illinois & Michigan Canal at Lock #13 along the waterway. It is located right across the river from Starved Rock so we could see the people atop the rock while watching the barges being pushed & pulled through the lock. It is very slow going but fascinating to watch. Being a bargeman is an occupation that takes a lot of patience.
On the day with nicer weather, we went hiking at Starved Rock and also at nearby Matthiessen SP (a day use area). We only had time to do the main Starved Rock trail, where we could view the river and see the lock & dam from the opposite side of the river. We also walked around the lovely lodge which was built by the CCC in the 1930s. The grounds around the lodge had 23 totem-like sculptures of animals (and one of Abe Lincoln) carved by chainsaw into dead tree trunks. Unfortunately, we were only able to hike one of the canyons. There are many interesting trails to come back for. Matthiessen SP is also a lovely wooded canyon area that was formerly a private park. It consists mainly of one long narrow canyon with a stream running through it. There are many rock formations, which are called "dells", which were formed by the flowing water. It is a lovely, peaceful area with the sound of water flowing everywhere. It is quite small, so we were able to hike both the Upper and Lower Dell trail.Sunday, June 01, 2003
Moraine View SP, Leroy, IL - May 30-June 1
We chose this park because it was about 20 miles from Willie's niece Jennifer & family. While here, we were able to visit them again at their home, plus have them all over to the park Sunday afternoon. We also were able to meet Cathy & John for dinner in Bloomington Saturday night. This is a beautiful state park located along the Bloomington Moraine formed during the most recent Ice Age. The park containsseveral lakes & small ponds and a couple of hiking trails. Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Travel Supreme Factory, Wakarusa, IN - May 23-27
This is where we "hid out" from the Memorial Day crowds, It's nothing more than a gravel parking lot with 10 water & electric sites, each big enough to handle the largest rig. We had both caught colds from being with the children, so it was a good place to rest up. Even though there are interesting things to see nearby (an RV history museum in Elkhart and several large Amish centers to name a few), we just rested and walked around the small town. Other people trickled in over the weekend, all with Tuesday appts (same as ours), and by Monday the "campground" was full. We were warned to be ready Tuesday at 6:30 am (not something normally in our vocabulary except for the occasional birdwatching trip), but we still wondered how they could handle everyone in a single day. By 6:30 on Tuesday morning we had the cats loaded into the truck (which was confusing for them, since they never get up that early, either) and Travel Supreme started moving the RVs to the repair facility. Fortunately it was not a hot day, so keeping the cats in the truck all day was not a problem. We loafed around the repair facility until we were hungry, then strolled out and got some breakfast, returning just in time to drive to the main factory for an Owners' Tour, which was really fascinating. We had no idea the number of custom mods TS makes for new units. They even installed a darkroom in one rig. When the sun came out, we drove to a shady street & parked where we could read our books until time to return to the factory. We got to go into the service area to discuss a couple of things with the repair people, and found that there was plenty of room in the repair facility for not only the RVs that were there but lots of extra room. There were 2-3 techs working on each rig all the time. It was quite impressive! Our trailer was pretty much the "low end" of what was being worked on that day -- the "high end" being the 45-foot deluxe model motorhome with 4 slideouts. While they are quite luxurious, with 45-inch plasma TVs as a standard feature, we are quite happy with our "basic model". It definitely fits our personalities & lifestyle better. We got our home back about 4:30 that afternoon. Unfortunately, there were a few things not finished, so we had to go through the same drill again on Weds. However, they were finished early and we were on the road to Remington by 10am. We are very pleased with the work they did, especially the repair of the slideout, which Casey's had been unable (or unwilling) to do anything about last year in Denver. Travel Supreme considered it something that should not have happened, and so did not charge us anything for the 6+ hours they put into fixing it; we are pretty glad that Casey's did nothing. Casey's certainly showed that they don't know the meaning of "customer support". We wouldn't hesitate to purchase or recommend another TravelSupreme product -- just not from Casey's in Denver. Friday, May 23, 2003
Caboose Lake CG, Remington, IN - May 21-22 & May 28-29
This is a nice Passport America (1/2 price) park, at a good location for visiting before our appointment at the Travel Supreme factory. Although it is located along a busy interstate and US highway, it is a destination park for people on the weekends, with a nice fishing lake with paddle boats. We chose to return after our repairs because it is attractively maintained and the owner is genuinely nice.Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Spring Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area, Manito, IL - May 12-20
We chose this location to be near Willie's sister, Cathy, and her husband, John, who live in Morton (near Peoria). It is a lovely primitive area with large grassy sites, most of which are separated by wooded areas. We were unable to see our neighbors, which we only had during the weekend. The rest of the time we had the CG to ourselves. Our only complaint was that we could have used a bit more sun to keep the solar panels charged.
We spent almost all our time here visiting family so sightseeing was kept to a minimum. We did take a nice drive to the Sand Ridge State Forest, another lovely primitive camping area, and the Chatauqua Natl Wildlife Refuge located at several spots along the Illinois River. The drive to Cathy & John's house was about 28 miles and there were various routes to choose from, so we got some sightseeing in that way, too. The optimal way (not counting the way with the missing bridge, which would have saved us about 5 miles) took us right past the Pekin Social Security office, where Willie was able to file for SS in person (after pulling all the forms from the internet at Cathy & John's house). It's nice to have that bureaucratic task over with!
While here we were able to visit several times with Willie's niece, Jennifer, her husband, Ralph, and their 3 children, Devin (6), Christian (3) and Sophia (1). We were able to visit them at their home in Heyworth (about 30 miles south of Bloomington). We were actually brave enough to invite them all out to the trailer one Saturday and a good time was had by all (except maybe for the cats -- they are still giving us suspicious looks!). We took a pleasant 2-mile hike and spent a lot of time at the nice playground.We also met Willie's nephew, Mike, and his wife, Kim, who live in Rock Island (one of the Quad Cities), at the centrally located town of Galesburg for a late breakfast on Sunday. We strolled through the historic part of Galesburg together and spontaneously decided to see the matinee of "X-Men 2" (our first movie since Dec).
We had a wonderful time visiting with Cathy & John. We were there almost every day and enjoyed many delicious meals together.
Sunday, May 11, 2003
Opossum Creek COE Campground, Shelbyville, IL - May 5-11
We have planned a visit to see our friends Carole & Delbert Ulmer, whom we first met at Pioneer RV Park in Port Aransas, TX, in 2000. We share a love of card-playing (bridge foremost but lots of variety too), sightseeing and interesting conversations. The campground is quite nice and convenient to their house. It will be much more appealing when we can get the half-price Golden Age discount in ONLY 3 months!!
It is a good thing that we have had good companionship and indoor entertainment. The weather has not been at all wonderful, ranging from violent thunderstorms, tornado watches, flash flooding, to hot & muggy days when it wasn't raining. Now, with the (hopefully) last of the fronts through for a while, it is cool (under 60) and quite breezy. We very much appreciate the emails from many of you asking if we were all right -- our only mishap was a tree limb that landed on our roof and did not seem to cause any damage.
While here we have visited the Amish communities near Arthur, IL. These include many interesting areas where the Old Amish still maintain their non-electrified way of life. It is nice to see the lovely farms and the horse-and-buggies driving along the roads. The crafts are lovely and reasonably priced (especially compared to the Anabaptist items we saw in Texas), not that we're buying!!
We also visited Lincoln's New Salem, located near Springfield, which is a reconstruction of the village where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood. Lincoln spent 6 years in New Salem, starting out as a young man with no objectives in life and departing as a man with a career in law and statesmanship. He clerked in a store, split rails, enlisted in the Black Hawk War, served as postmaster & deputy surveyor, failed in business, and was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1834 & 1836, after an unsuccessful try in 1832. He then moved to Springfield to practice law. The buildings here were all reconstructed on their original sites, with a lot of the work was done by (surprise!!) the CCC in the early 1930s.
We have visited many interesting sites around Shelbyville, state parks on both sides of Lake Shelbyville, walked through one of IL's five remaining covered bridges near Cowden, and seen acres & acres of lovely rich farmland, with new corn just sprouting.People often ask us how we find so many interesting places to visit along the way. It is more like the interesting places find us. Everywhere we look, there are wonders to see. This is an amazing country, full of things to fascinate people interested in anything. Our biggest problem is finding TOO MUCH to see so that we don't have enough time to just relax. Local residents, chambers of commerce, visitor centers, tourist guide books -- all are helpful sources to find out what the features of an area are and to plan for the next stop. The cats would certainly be happy if we found less to see & do and spent more time offering them laps for naps!
