Warmer and drier . . . FINALLY!

We left Tribune, Kansas, and Wes and Jan yesterday morning heading west in search of warmer and drier weather. It was a long run because the rain would just not quit. It rained on us all the way to Pueblo, Colorado, when we were treated to sunlight and mountain views.

Our plan was to stop in Pueblo and do some sightseeing. I mainly wanted to see scenery and when we arrived on the east side all we could see was smog and smell the acrid air from the steel mills. I’m sure there is a lot of neat stuff to see there, but we decided to turn south and run down to a campground Terry had read about in LaVeta, Colorado. It is called Elk Valley Camp and it is a very nice, clean and comfortable camp. There was only one other camper in here at the time, so we settled in for two nights. It is bordered by mountains and directly out our door are what they call the Spanish Peaks. In the distance we can see snow covered peaks which are gorgeous. The weather was in the high 60’s and the sun was warm. Just perfect. We rested up from the drive and decided to wait until morning to do some exploring.

This morning we loaded Neal up in his space in the car and took off for the Great Sand Dunes across LaVeta Pass, about 60 miles away. The road up the pass climbs to just over 9000 feet and we were treated to spectacular views the entire way. The road is very easy to travel with truck lanes on the hills. We saw several motorhomes and campers along the way. Once you get over the pass, you pass through the town of Fort Garland which has an historic adobe fort built in 1858. It looked interesting, but did not go in because we had Neal with us.

We traveled on to the turn-off for the Great Sand Dunes. Now we had been to the Glamis Dunes in California, but these are different. These are at the base of mountains and just looked like someone dumped sand in front of them. There is a dry creekbed in front of the dunes. We parked briefly and walked out to the creekbed. There is water at times, but it was dry today. There were several groups of people climbing the dunes which is allowed. There is just no way to describe dunes. . . they are a phenomenon, especially out here in the area where these are located. We drove around the campground which is primitive, but well laid out. All the sites are fine gravel and have rock walls surrounding the tent areas. There are large bear-proof food vaults and signs indicating there is considerable bear activity in the area. Campers are warned to lock up all food items and anything else that might attract bears. Almost everyone there was backpacking on the trails. We also saw some horses being saddled up for the trails. This was really beautiful and if you are able to climb up the dunes, you would be rewarded with spectacular views of the sand, the desert surrounding them and the mountains in all directions. The aspen trees are beautiful, a bright golden color in sharp contrast to the dark of the mountains.

We drove back through the pass and dropped Neal off at the motorhome. We continued on to the little town of LaVeta for lunch and to walk around looking in the shops. There were more real estate businesses than anything else, but we did enjoy talking with the shopkeepers. Right now they are just about shut down for the winter, so they have time to talk with their patrons. There are mule deer that wander all around this little town. They lay down in people's front yard, graze in the church yard, and visit the campground. I think they would come right up to the car.

We then drove up to another town, Cuchara, in the mountains. The road was good, albeit quite curvy, but once again, the scenery was just spectacular. Only one store was open as the others have closed for the winter, so we stopped and browsed and visited with the owner and his Golden Retriever, Dynamite.

When we got back, I took my final load of laundry to the camp machines. I love my Splendide, but having been in rain and mud for 10 days really stacked up a bunch of jeans, towels, coats, etc., which would have taken too long to do in my machine. So I am all caught up now and we are ready to move on once again.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Finally made it to Tribune, Kansas!

We have been trying for several days to get to Tribune, Kansas, and our friends Wes and Jan, members of our fulltiming class of 2005. The weather has been less than cooperative with rain, ice, etc., so we have been hanging out other places until we could get here. Yesterday was the day and we arrived shortly after noon.

Wes had expressed concern over our driving Phaeton Place down their county roads which are not paved. We had a hard time understanding this logic as we have gravel roads back in Indiana. Well, Indiana gravel roads cannot hold a candle to the dirt roads here when they are wet. Wes says the gravel moves to the side and what is left in the middle is dirt and when it gets wet, it gets slippery and greasy. So it was decided we would park at a campsite in town. The owner here has about a dozen sites along highway 96 which are open and spacious and full hookups with 50A for $15. Nothing fancy, but not muddy and quite adequate for our needs. The others in here are all workers on the road project.

We parked and got settled. . . it was STILL raining, but supposed to stop at 6 p.m. I have decided never to believe another weatherman. . . ever. . . as this morning when we took Neal out it is STILL raining. We had thought we might stay here another night, but we are so tired of the cold wet weather and we know Neal is. Poor little guy. He had to have a bath last night as he just got so dirty falling in the mud so we are headed toward Pueblo, Colorado, where temps are SUPPOSED to be warmer and no rain is in the forecast. So that is where we are headed today.

We had a great time with Wes and Jan last night. They have a farm a few miles from town and they invited us for dinner last night. It was great. We drove out there in our Sport Trac and actually had to (for the first time) use the 4WD feature over the dirt roads. (We now understand the logic of "alternature mud routes" for the school busses.) We got to meet Sophie the dog and see the house where Jan grew up. They moved back here from the Denver area when her parents died and hope to sell the farm in the future and hit the road full time. Jan and Wes fixed us grilled chicken, scalloped potatoes, green beans, garden salad, deviled eggs, homemade Italian herb bread and homemade apple pie for dessert. Wow. It was all so very good and we enjoyed our visit tremendously. Maybe we can visit again in better weather before they sell out.

Thanks friends and see you down the road!

Till next time. . .

Dale

Dodge City, Kansas

First of all, a big Happy Birthday to my dad, who turns 85 today. He celebrated by driving from Indiana to their winter home in Texas with my mom, who is 84. They arrived safely and will hold down the fort until we get there in December . . . or before if the weather here doesn’t warm up!

Today we left Hutchinson, Kansas, and drove about 120 miles to Dodge City, Kansas. Along the way we saw a windfarm shrouded in fog. It was pretty eerie to see the blades swing down out of the fog.

We stopped for a break at a crossroads and found a museum and roadside park at Kinsley, Kansas, which is the midway point in the U.S. It is 1561 miles to New York or San Francisco. . . take your pick. If the weather had been nicer, we would have stopped here for a look at their museum which boasts a sod house. But it was cold and rainy, so on we went. We arrived in Dodge City around noon and set out to see the sights after a quick lunch.

We walked down Front Street which is where the town recreated a wooden walkway in front of store fronts. The original street in Dodge City is gone. . . there is nothing left but pictures. A lot of the shops in this area were empty, which is a shame. There were several things that caught our eye, though. There was a statue in bronze of Wyatt Earp and also a statue of El Capitan, a long-horn. Cattle is what made Dodge City famous, along with some of the notorious citizens and businesses that sprouted up to provide “services” to the cowboys.

We drove out west of town to look at some landmarks. We went to see the wagon trail ruts of the Santa Fe trail. I had a hard time imagining where they were. There was some grass and it was difficult to see them. It does say that low sunlight is helpful. Once we got back to the motorhome, I looked at them on Google Earth and they are very evident. I guess it would be better if you could see them from the air. But we aren’t talking just one set of wheel ruts. There often were many wagons driving side by side and sometimes the train was a half-mile wide. This was to reduce the dust for those behind and also made it easier to circle the wagons in the case of an Indian attack.

Later we drove the other direction and visit Fort Dodge. Once again, there are very few original buildings left and the entire fort is now the Kansas Soldiers’ Home. It was still interesting to drive around and read about the history.

Tomorrow we are headed for Tribune, Kansas, to see our dear friends, Wes and Jan. . . members of the Graduating Class of 2005, our group of friends who started out on our RV adventure four years ago. I can’t wait to see them.

Till next time. . .

Dale

What to do today?

Today we are mostly occupied by keeping warm. We had a cold night here in Kansas and the temperature has not gone above 44 degrees today with winds at 90 mph. Well, not quite, but it sure feels like it. I think it feels 29 out there with the wind chill. So what does one do on such a day? Well, we stay in and keep Neal warm mostly.

I made a large (for me) lunch with meatloaf, broccoli/rice/cheese side dish and fruit with cottage cheese for dessert, one of our favorites. It all tasted really good as we are tired of eating out.

Then I had some chocolate chips that needed to be used up, so I made my famous chocolate chip cookies. They really turned out well and even though a convection oven doesn't heat up like a gas oven does, it still releases some heat through the fan.

Now I think we are going to watch the Nationwide race. Tomorrow is another cold day, then the warm up starts.

Till next time. . .

Dale

What a difference!

We are again changing our journey a bit as the storms plowing through the midwest are causing rain, wind, and cold temperatures here in south central Kansas. Snow flurries are a possibility where we were going, so we just decided not to go. . . yet. This weather is a bit unusual they say for this area and next week will be back up in the 60's, so we are staying here until Sunday, then moving on to Dodge City.

We did decide to move from Yoder, Kansas, to the state fair grounds campground in Hutchinson. Not far away, but man what a difference. We aren't exposed to the wind here like we were in Yoder, so our slide toppers aren't being battered. We also aren't feeling the draftiness that goes with a lot of wind. On the door side of the coach, we are protected from the wind while we are out with Neal. AND. . . the sun is shining today! We have had overcast skies and rain/mist since we arrived.

On the way up here, we fueled at a truck stop. Would not have had to just yet, but it was easy in/out. After that, we went into Hutchinson to Ramsey Oil and filled with propane. We had scouted it out last night and again it was easy in/out. With temps dipping down into the low 30's, we wanted to make sure we had enough propane. We primarily use our heat pumps if we have good electric, but when it gets that cold, we have to switch over to the propane furnaces.

As we were eating lunch here in the motorhome, we were surprised by the number of birds outside grazing on the lawn. Good thing Mom isn't here, heh heh. Earlier in the week we were in a check out somewhere and someone else mentioned the birds to the cashier. They noticed how it was unusual for the area. . . where is Alfred Hitchcock?

People here in Kansas are very friendly. Everyone we met today was nice and very helpful. In fact, that has been the rule here in Kansas.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Way down under!

Today we toured the salt mine museum. When we got to the museum they said they had a tour just starting, so we joined in. You start the tour by dropping 680 feet down on an elevator. Once out, we were directed to the trams where we took seats in front. Before we left, we were asked to move to the back because the group we had been placed with were all deaf and they needed to sit together so they could see the interpreter. No problem, so we joined one other couple at the back.

What a ride. Every time the tour guide said anything, we had to stop and two people would jump off the tram and while the guide spoke his text, another who signs very little tried to interpret to the deaf signor so that person could interpret to the rest of the group. It took so long and of course, we were in a cave, so they were trying to use flashlights to shine on the hands of the interpreters. It just did not go well. I felt badly for the group which had this impairment, but I also thought the museum could have done a better job preparing for this. They told us later that the group showed up unannounced and they had no interpreter available. They are able to get someone when the event is scheduled. We slogged along and got what we could from the presentation. When the ride ended and we were turned loose in the museum/gift shop area, the tour guide came over to the four of us and apologized and offered to put us on another train. But we didn't want to spend another two hours underground, so after our visit to the exhibits, we left. A very nice lady took us up to the surface and went in and talked with her boss about our experience.

We weren't disappointed in the mine. It was fabulous. But there was a lot more material the guide did not deliver because he was so frustrated by the ineffective job the interpreters were doing. I suggested a very simple solution and told the director. They should have all the stops numbered with large numbers. At each stop there is a display that they stop to tell you about. The hearing impaired could be provided with a brochure identifying each stop with a picture and corresponding number and the text of what the speaker says. They could also be issued a small penlight along with their hardhat with which to view the brochure along the way. That way the speaker could speak as he normally does and everyone gets the same tour. That would work very well and everyone could benefit from the tour. It also means that those who just show up would get a tour and they would not have to rely on an interpreter. Also, we discovered that they have another problem with foreign visitors. They cannot communicate with them either. Any museum I have been to will have brochures in dozens of languages preprinted and that is given to the visitors. They could do the same thing here.

The manager thanked me for my suggestions and said she thought they would be extremely useful and certainly cost effective and would make sure she mentioned it to her boss. So maybe they will do something like that. It wouldn't be alot of money and would be very helpful. Then she refunded the admission price for both of us and gave us our choice of a book on the mine or a DVD. We took the book.

I had not asked for my money back and I didn't complain. I just said it was not a good situation and there was a reasonable solution.

Afterwards, we drove around the area and found the grain elevator you can see from any roadway in the area. This the longest and largest grain elevator in the world. I think it is one-half mile long. Wow! But the smaller" ones n the area are large by most standards.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Yoder, Kansas - Amish Country

We left our $8/night campsite mid-morning. It was clear and sunny, cold but warming up rapidly with the sunshine. We had our coldest night yet, dipping down to about 33. We drove about 100 miles to Yoder, Kansas, just south of Hutchinson.

Yoder is a very small community with some shops, a meat store and a couple restaurants. We made the rounds this afternoon and ate dinner at the Carriage Crossing. Good food. Tomorrow we are going south of town to an Amish country variety store. We always like the Amish stores out in the country. We are also going to go to Hutchinson and take in the Salt Mine Museum. It is underground. They are still mining salt, but far away from where we will be. They store stuff in the mines now. There are some legendary movie reels there. I will know more after we tour it.

We are at the Hitchin' Post RV Park. This is just a small park right off the highway. Self serve. Full hookups with 50 Amp for $20. There is a laundry with a single bath/shower which is nothing fancy, but new and clean. Out behind us is a field and we noticed a piece of equipment in the field. Terry said, "Keep your eye out because that is a piece of horse-drawn equipment." It wasn't long before we saw two draft horses pulling that planter. Apparently there was something wrong with it because the Amish man kept stopping and fiddling with the grain bins. He eventually gave up and took his team back home. The horses were just beautiful.

We fought wind all the way here today. I had a headache so I drove the second leg and when we arrived here, Terry said the wind was much worse than what he had driven through. Thanks. It kept blowing but was reasonably warm and sunny. Later when we went out exploring it started clouding up and then started raining. When the rain stopped, the wind died down a bit and was much more comfortable. But later this evening the wind started back up. It is still windy now. We have not deployed the Datastorm because of the wind, but we have our aircard, so all is well.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Hannibal, Missouri

We left Springfield on Sunday morning and drove to Hannibal, Missouri, in time to watch the Nascar race. It was a beautiful day and warmed up nicely from the cold, rainy weather we left behind. We camped at the Mark Twain Cave and Campground.

Before we left Springfield, however, we made a stop at the Maid-Rite drive in. For those of you who don't know what a Maid-Rite is, it is a "scattered meat" sandwich. Ground beef is browned with onion and thrown on a bun. Great eating!

At Hannibal, we first made the drive up to Lover's Leap. I'm sure you know the legend--a love between an Indiana maid and a warrior from warring tribes. They were pursued one night and found themselves atop the cliff on the Mississippi river and leaped to their deaths rather than be captured and killed. It is a very nice view from atop the cliff.

We did a little driving around and found the Huck Finn/Tom Sawyer statue in town close to the waterfront. It was very close to the Mark Twain boyhood home. The historic area of town was interesting with several shops. We found it hard to find a parking place, even early in the morning, leaving us to believe that people must live in the buildings downtown and park on the street. Later in the afternoon, we took a riverboat cruise on the Mark Twain. This is a boat that also had a dinner cruise, but we just took the scenic cruise lasting one hour. It was nice and relaxing and the water was calm so it was very enjoyable except for the kids running all over the place. Not sure why they weren't in school. . .

We went back to the campground and visited with more of the campers. When we first arrived, most had left, but more came in and it seems most are passing through now on their way to warmer weather. Met a few dogs as well. Neal was happy.

We are now in Emporia, Kansas. Our Brake Buddy that failed on us a month ago was built here. We took it back to the factory this afternoon. They rebuilt it free of charge and we have it back already. Hurrah! We are stepping up our journey across the midwest as we are finding colder temperatures and we don't want that. We are going to visit some friends on the western side of Kansas next week and then we are on to Pueblo. From there we will drop down to New Mexico and make our way over to northern Arizona.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Ghosts!

Yesterday we went to downtown Springfield to the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The museum was totally awesome. I had read about it enough to know it would be different from any other museum we had ever experienced and we were not disappointed.

The museum is an interactive one of sorts. There are a lot of wax figures of Abraham Lincoln and his family depicting lifesized memorable scenes from his life. There are two main sections. One begins at a log cabin and shows scenes from his early life. Very impressive. As you walk through, there are exhibits to read, but most often there are recordings of events that play in the background so you get a feel for what life was like as you watch and read.

The second section has to do with the White House years. Again, very impressive. One lifesize scene shows the bedroom where the Lincoln's son Willie lay in bed, suffering from typhoid fever which would take his life two weeks later. It was at a time when the Lincoln's were hosting a social event at the Executive Mansion and while they were at their son's bedside, you could hear the party noises in the background. The scenes basically placed you there during that time period. A lot of history was conferred upon the observer in each of the scenes placed before you. At the end of the White House years section, a room duplicating the room where Lincoln's body lay in state was recreated along with the casket and all the decorum that befitted the sitting President. It was as if you were experiencing the actual event.

The highlight of our tour was the "Ghosts of the Library" performance. We entered into a theatre to watch a presentation of how and why artifacts and knowledge are archived and kept for future generations. The narrator came out with a box of new artifacts he was going to begin cataloging. As he describes how artifacts can create memories, the air around him would fill with scenes from the Civil War and other times in history. At one point, the quill from the table flies into the air and starts writing. The presentation ends with the narrator donning a Civil War uniform and fading from the scene into the fight behind him. How cool. All holograms, but very entertaining.

You can read more about this scene and others in the library by going to the website. . .http://www.alplm.org/museum/ghosts.html

As libraries go, we thought the admission of $10 was expensive, but it is a different museum from any we had ever experienced. It is just that. . . an experience. . . not a walk through. You would not be dissappointed.

After leaving the library, we found the Dana-Thomas house which is a Frank Lloyd Wright home. I like anything FLW, so we took the tour. Over 12,000 sq. ft. of living space and 16 levels in this house. Wow. It has an "entertainment" wing. The original house was an Italianate structure built by a man named Lawrence who made his fortune in silver. His only child, a daughter, inherited the house and 3 million dollars when he died. She had the house re-done, but only one original room remains, the rest of the house is new. Frank Lloyd Wright designed it as a "prairie" house, one that uses horizontal lines. It seems to go on forever. It is a typical FLW house. I love his designs because they are so unusual. There were multiple levels in the house, normally accessed by no more than 8 steps. The house was built primarily for entertaining the elite of Springfield and some parties numbered in the 3-400 guests. It was quite amazing and the house is well restored to the early 1900's when it was built. Another "don't miss" item if you like FLW.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Springfield, Illinois

Some of you have asked about Neal, our surviving Scottie. Neal's best friend Bailey crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in April due to heart failure. Neal has not been the same since Bailey died. We have gone through not eating, anxiety attacks, and various other problems. He would no longer eat the food he and Bailey ate for several years, so we changed kibble only to have him refuse that. So now he eats a combination of the new kibble, boiled rice and boiled hamburger. Whenever we can, we encourage visits from neighbor dogs. He seems to enjoy the companionship and he also likes our grandson Ronan. When visitors are present, he will actually stay awake and alert, but once they are gone, he goes back to his cushion or hut and sleeps a lot.


While we were at Summit Lake, we were camped next to Dave and Mark and they brought Baxter, their little black Scottie over. Dave put him in the pen so Neal would have a friend close to him. Both dogs seemed to enjoy it and they got along very well. Baxter seemed to sense that Neal was older and needed a friend close by.


During our drive in blustery winds through Indiana the other day we passed a windmill farm. Amazingly we saw hundreds of these majestic wind turbines. How disheartening that in the windy air we were experiencing, none of them were turning. . . well I did see two turning. Hmmmm. Wonder why. Guess the price of electricity is down right now. . . ?????
We are now in Springfield, Illinois, having driven over from Crawfordsville, Indiana, yesterday. We got camped and drove into town to visit the Lincoln Tomb. We both thought we had been there before, but now we are not so sure. I know we took the kids to Kentucky and Indiana Lincoln sites, but after seeing this tomb, I don't think we were ever here. The tomb itself is quite impressive and Lincoln, his wife and three sons are buried here. The longest surviving son is buried in Arlington. The cemetery itself is very large and you almost need a map to get around. We found the "old vault" which is where Lincoln's body was kept until he was relocated to the tomb. There are also memorials to the various wars at the entrance. We were lucky when we got there because we were at Lincoln's tomb BETWEEN tour busses. Afterwards, we drove around the town a little through downtown which is on the original Route 66. There are several landmarks from that era which we may go back to explore.
Today we intend to do the Lincoln Museum. The camphost says it is well worth it and to plan on spending 4-5 hours, so I better get moving so we can do that.


Till next time. . .


Dale

And we're off!

Yesterday we left Goshen, Indiana, and drove down to Crawfordsville, Indiana, about 40 miles west of Indianapolis. We wanted to be on the west side of Indy. Today Terry had his two cardiology appointments. All went very well, including his treadmill, which he was dreading, and we had lunch out, then headed back to the campground. We are in the KOA and what can I say. . . it is a KOA--high price, small, narrow sites and solid tree cover. But we wanted location, so we paid for it.

Tomorrow we are starting our grand adventure west. We are spending the next two nights in Springfield, Illinois, then onward to Kansas, etc. I know we are going through Kansas, part of Colorado (have to stay below 8000 feet for Terry), New Mexico, and Arizona. We will spend some time seeing the sights in Arizona and then start working our way to the Rio Grande Valley for the rest of the winter.

To all you fellow travelers out there. . . stay safe and keep it between the lines.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Repairs X 3

Well, the trip back to Indiana from Virginia was far from uneventful. The first thing we noticed was a problem with the Brake Buddy. Terry said the compressor wasn't shutting off and it was continuing to fill, then depress the brake pedal, then fill again, then depress again. . . it just wasn't shutting off. So we unhooked it. Later when we stopped for lunch, he started playing with it again and thought that a wire may have been stressed and it worked multiple times for him, so we re-engaged it. It worked fine the rest of that day. The next morning it was acting up again, but eventually worked, so again we engaged it and headed a short distance down the road to our fuel stop. As soon as we got out of the coach, we could smell the brakes on the truck. Terry used his infared digital thermometer and some brake parts measured over 300 degrees. Ooh, ouch! Needless to say, it was disconnected then. A call to Brake Buddy and they said the compressor is failing. When we head west next week we are going through Kansas, so will take a side trip to their plant and they said they will fix it while we are there.

When we drove into Summit Lake State Park, we tried to deploy the jacks. They did not deploy properly, so we raised them. All raised up, but the system "thought" one was not up and locked. If one jack ain't happy, ain't none of 'em happy. Nothing but error beeps and lights at this point. So we sat there for the week with no jacks down. We were on level terrain, so it wasn't a big deal. We manage to get all our doctor appointments done and the vet appointment for Neal. Unfortunately, we have had jack trouble before; but fortunately, Terry learned how to bypass the system and disconnect all the beepers and warnings. The real problem, however, is that the levelers on our coach are directly tied into the air dump/fill system, so once everything is disabled, one must jumper across a couple leads in a box in the basement in order to fill the airbags. Without that, you cannot move our coach. So Terry called Gerald Straw at Charger Enterprises and explained what was going on. Gerald held a spot for us for Friday and said he would get with Atwood and try to have parts ready. We arrived Thursday around closing time and hooked up to 30Amp in front of Charger and spent the night.

Unfortunately, Terry woke up sick this morning, so as soon as they came for the coach at 7 a.m., I brought him over to the "storage condo." He apparently picked up a bug somewhere, so has been nursing his tummy all day.

At noon Gerald called to say the coach was done and even though the jacks were out of warranty, Atwood traded out the bad jack for FREE! Wow. I contemplated how I was going to drive over and get the motorhome, so Terry said he would ride along and help hook up the truck and I would drive it back. Alas, 'twas not to be. We got there, checked out the jacks, which worked to perfection, then proceeded to hook up the truck. The tow bar was broken! Arggggggg. It had a broken weld and there was no way we could hook up and tow with it. So, I drove the motorhome back and went down and begged our apartment manager to take me back to get the truck. He was happy to do it and I got to thank Gerald for the great service on our jacks. There are really great people, and if you are in Elkhart or you come here for service, this would be a good stop for you. It is located on CR6 between CR13 and CR11. . . not far from the Elkhart Campground. He is very honest and does a great job. In fact, Bob Tiffin is the one who told us about Charger. You can imagine my surprise the first time we came here when I found out that Gerald is the same Gerald Straw who graduated with me from Goshen High School. So if you do go, tell him I sent you!

Okay, back to the story. I was telling Gerald our tow bar problems and he suggested I ask at Dan's Hitch. Perhaps they could help us with the hitch and work with Demco on a repair. While I was waiting in line at Dan's, Terry called. He had contacted Demco about our tow bar. When he told them we were on the road and we couldn't mail it and get it back since we were leaving on Tuesday, Demco then directed him to a distributor in Elkhart where a BRAND NEW DEMCO ALUMINATOR tow bar would be waiting. Oh me, oh my. He called me and I was just a few blocks away, so I detoured and arrived at NTP Distribution and got our new tow bar. I guess when they say life-time warranty, they mean it. They have repaired it before, but they said since we were on the road, they would just replace it. What a great company!

So, a busy day, but one which turned out very well. Terry is getting better. I finally made it to the grocery and got him some popsicles, Pedialyte, yogurt and orange juice. I'm sure he will be better tomorrow. Too much sitting in doctor's offices this week for our yearly checkups. Who woulda' thunk sick people would be there. ho ho

Till next time. . .

Dale

Parkview Pride!

In our former life, we lived in central Indiana near the town of New Castle. When we first moved to that area, there was both a J. C. Penny's store and a Sears store downtown. We spent many winters doing our Christmas shopping on Main Street. And as most Main Streets have died, giving way to Wal-Marts and malls, so did the Main Street in New Castle. Both Penny's and Sears are long gone. Somehow, however, the employees of Sears managed to stay in touch with one another and we would often see a notice in the community section of the local newspaper announcing the "former Sears employees" would be holding their monthly get together. I found that both amusing and incredible that people who worked together actually wanted to continue their association long after their business was gone.

For 20+ years I taught ninth-grade business and keyboarding at the junior high in New Castle. Our junior high had the distinction of being the only one in the state that was comprised of only eighth and ninth graders. There were 1100 students in those two grades when I started there in 1977 and when I left four years ago, there were not that many students in the newly restructured high school that now holds grades 9-12.

During my tenure at the junior high, named Parkview Jr. High, our staff was mostly hired by one man, Lew Larrison, who was the first principal of the junior high when it was built in the 70's and he remained there for . . . a long time. There is no doubt that the cohesiveness of the staff had a lot to do with the man at the helm. Not only was he a leader, but he was a compassionate and caring individual who made us feel we were the absolute best and that is why he picked us to be educators in his building. In fact, he recently told one of my friends and colleague that he felt looking back on his life, his legacy was the people he brought to the community.

Last year as we made plans to visit the area for our fall doctor appointments, a fellow retiree who is also an RVer suggested we invite some former colleagues we would like to see and have a "little" pitch-in. So we made a few phone calls and were pleasantly surprised when people showed up to share the evening with us. So this year, as we again discussed the possibility of another "reunion," we again made plans to coincide with our fall visit to the state park. The shelter was reserved, we called around and word soon spread.

We started gathering at 4 pm and I think the final count was 35. Wow! What a showing! We had some familiar faces from last year and some new faces. But the most special was when our former boss showed up! Now in his 80's, Mr. Larrison knew us all. He was amazed that after all these years, these people who he had brought together as a staff, still found they enjoyed one another's company to gather together and reminisce. (In fact, when he left tonight, we all called out, "Thanks for hiring us!") The junior high as we knew it back then, is no more, having been "restructured," but our friendships remain and we had a great time. We had dinner, then visited with one another and sat around the portable campfire. We are not all retired, some are still working. . . but we are like those Sears employee who just can't seem to let go of those with whom we shared a good part of our lives.

Great food, great times, great people. . . it just doesn't get any better than that!

Till next time. . .

Dale

Leaving Ronan. . .

It's always hard to say goodbye to the kids, but we had to do that last night. We took them out to eat at their favorite restaurant and we had a really great meal. In addition, Jocelyn and I had some margaritas, which were very good.

I have some pictures I took this week. Ronan is really into trains and has quite a few of the Thomas the Train track and accessories. Anyone who comes in is asked, "Play trains?" He likes to build track and then "crash" the trains. He enjoyed the new toy we brought him as well. We got him a remote control fire engine. He likes that as well, probably because it makes noise. This particular remote control just has two buttons. . . forward and turn, so he learned how to use it quickly.

Poor Whiskey. He had an encounter with a rose bush and started scratching and biting at his flank, so he has to wear a collar to keep him from bothering it. At least it is one of those inflatable ones. He actually didn't seem to mind wearing it. He took a day or two to warm up to me, but he does remember Grandma. He was coming to me by the end of the week.

Thursday morning we took Ronan and Jocelyn to the mall and we went to the "Build-A-Bear Workshop" where Ronan made his new horse. Actually he wasn't too "into" it, but he did help pick out the sound and put a "heart" in Banjo, which is what he named it. Banjo fits right into the stroller, so we walked him around the mall.

As always, our time with them seems all too short. It will be many months before we see them all again, but we will have plenty to do and see to fill the days. We will miss them though.

This morning we left Virginia and headed to Indiana. We are at the fairgrounds in Gallipolis, Ohio, for the night. Tomorrow we will arrive at Summit Lake State Park near our old home. That is where we stay when we are in the area for doctor appointments.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Life with Ronan

We are certainly enjoying our grandson. And the rest of the family, including rescue Poodle Whiskey. Whiskey is extremely skittish and when the kids were at our house this summer, he became my pal. It took a while for him to remember me, but now he is letting me pet him and fuss over him.

Monday we took Ronan with us and started off at Carter's Mountain, which is an orchard on top of the mountain. There are beautiful views there and we bought a couple apples, but they really didn't look that good. The orchard mentioned they had 4000 people visit last weekend, so it was good we waited until a weekday!

After we finished up there, we drove on out to the campground. Ronan loves "Gramma's camper" and we played inside and out. I told his Mom I already had his Christmas presents. . . a couple new rocks and a stepstool. Seems to be what he plays with most when he comes out here. He certainly does enjoy "boy" things. We went for a walk up to the playground where he got to go down the slide. . . his favorite. We eventually walked back. When we put him in his carseat for the ride back to town, he promptly fell asleep. He certainly is a cutie.

Yesterday Jocelyn, Ronan and I took off for Lynchburg to the Children's Museum. Alas, 'twas not to be. She had checked on the hours for the museum, but did not call to verify and we found out they are closed this week for their annual renovation of exhibits. Boy, were we in trouble. Ronan was so disappointed and I felt sorry for him as he was really geared up for the museum, but we found a park and he played quite a lot. Later we went to Target where we bought him some new shoes and some new "car" gummies. I had thought he would fall asleep on the way home, but he stayed awake. He wanted to pet Neal before he left to go home, so he got to do that.

Today we are going into town for lunch at Christian's, our favorite pizza haunt, then we will be catching up with Ronan and Jocelyn at the park. Tomorrow night we are all going out to eat at the Continental Divide. Then Friday, we are headed back to Indiana.

We have a good wi-fi connection at the park, but uploading pictures takes too long so I will have to post those when our Datastorm goes up next weekend. Too much tree cover here.

Till next time. . .

Dale

On the road again. . .

Written on Friday, September 11.

We left Goshen yesterday morning, September 10. I had a dental appointment at 2, so we got on the road about 4 p.m. We drove to St. Mary’s, Ohio, and stopped at Easy Camp. We have been here before and it is a decent overnight stop right on the highway. And we know that fellow “Class of 2005” members Dee and Dan Hawkey hang out here during the summer to be near family.

We got in just after 7 p.m. and Dee and Dan were surprised to see us. We stood and chatted awhile and after we got set up, we joined them at their campfire. What a beautiful night. It was cool, but not cold. There was a breeze in the air, so there were no mosquitoes. We sat out till almost 11 p.m. just talking and catching up with where we have been in the last year and talked about where our travels will likely take us this coming winter. And we are hoping to hear if Dan is confirmed as the new RV Czar--a very useful and needed position on Capitol Hill.

This morning we had coffee with Dee and Dan and chatted some more before we got ready to leave. We left around 9:30 and drove until 4:30. We took a different route and went through Pennsylvania. I’m not sure we will do that again. Lots of hills and driving in the mountains through those little towns, while quaint, is brutal on the brakes. We are stopped for the night at the Outflow Corp of Engineers Campground at Confluence, Pennsylvania. It is close to Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. What a weird name. The town used to be called Falls City because of the falls. There is a lot of white water rafting here and there is a Class 5 rapids. The water is too low at this time of year for rafting on the rapids. They are quite beautiful and there are nice viewing areas for you to use. Our campground is actually just below the dam and the outflow is right across the river from our camp. When we called about getting a spot here we were told they were only half full. However, when we arrived, we found out there were no hookup sites available. No problem. We are in a nice large site without hookups but it is fine for overnight.

Tomorrow we will drive to Charlottesville, Virginia, to see our daughter and family. We are anxious to see them and to play with our grandson, Ronan.

Till next time. . .

Dale

PS: My pictures wouldn't load on my slow connection, so check back!

This 'N That

There are changes in store for visitors to the Elkhart Campground. Bobby and Gita have closed in the large pavilion behind the kitchen in the activities building. In addition to wrapping the outside, they have insulated and put up walls on the inside. It is one large room for now, but they are thinking they may air condition it as well.

Our work on the apartments is finally finished and we are chomping at the bit. We finished up today on the caulking on the new sliding glass doors on the two residences. While there we had to sample the pork loin Libby had cooked for her high school class reunion (60 years, I think). Wow, was it good. They are making pulled pork sandwiches with it. Did I tell you how much we love our tenants? She also plied me with cookies while I was there. Yum Yum.

Neal is working on getting rested up for the next big adventure. I bought him a new cushion called a "Snoozie." He loves it. From the minute I brought it in, he has spent his sleeping time either in his "hut" on his cushion or on his Snoozie.

Today I was looking out and saw a walker going by. We have a lot of walkers and bike riders in the neighborhood. He had his Ipod on and earbuds in but was looking up in the sky. I thought I had heard some old planes going by. We have a few enthusiasts in the area. But alas, 'twas not a plane. It was the GOODYEAR BLIMP! We actually see it a couple times a summer racing back and forth to Chicago or to Notre Dame football games. But this time, instead of being off in the distance, it was directly over the house! Wow! What a site. And it was low. Much lower than I have ever seen it. So, of course, I had to run in and grab my camera.

Tomorrow, I have a couple of appointments and we may be leaving in the afternoon. I am so ready to get rolling. I hate spending time in one place, but it is a necessity as long as we are landlords. But I do enjoy it when we leave!

Till next time. . .

Dale

Has it really been that long?

Well, we've been busy. Being a slumlord is hard work at best. We have been camped at the Elkhart Campground and spending our days at the apartments taking care of "stuff."

Mostly supervisory stuff. We had windows to replace in one duplex, ten windows in all. We have been really impressed with this company. This is the third building they have done for us and they get started by 9 a.m. and finished by 3 p.m. The windows are great and the tenants love them. Easy to work and they can all be cleaned from the inside. The next big project was to replace two sliding glass doors. They are coming up on 30 years old and the weather stripping is shot. The doors are obsolete, so that means replacing the entire thingy. Terry bought the doors and had them delivered. Our roofing contractor also doubles as a general contractor and he put them in for us with the help of one other guy. They make it look easy. The doors are heavy and the work a little strenuous, but they had no problems. Terry had bought all the fillers, insulation, etc., they would be needing and he basically acted as the "gopher" getting them tools, etc., when they were needed. The doors are vinyl frame, so there is no painting--ever! Yay! Also, we had them "wrapped" with aluminum on the outside when finished, so they look exceptionally nice. Since the standard sized doors are not the same standard size of 30 years ago, we had to buy wider trim for on the inside. We made a visit to Miller Door and Trim in Goshen and found some old stock in their warehouse that will work perfectly. They are even finishing it for us, so all we have to do is nail it in place. Then that job will be complete. We really have great tenants and we want their homes to be comfortable and hope they stay forever! We enjoy a good relationship with them.

On another note. . . we have had yellow jackets. We thought at first they were honey bees, but they are not. We have them both at the main condo and at a tenant's house. So we called Orkin. Not sure we did the right thing there. After the first visit, we had MORE yellow jackets than before. We kept calling Orkin back and they kept telling us to give it a week. Finally Terry called and told them how unhappy he was with the service. So the next morning another guy came out and he hit them again. I must say that he did greatly reduce the activity, but there are still yellow jackets flying in/out of the nests and both places. This time they said to call back on Tuesday if they were still there. I think I will be calling again.

Last Thursday we closed the motorhome up. Phaeton Place had an appointment on Friday at Hill Truck Sales, Inc., for a 50,000 mile checkup. Hard to believe we have almost that many miles on the motorhome. Since our appointment was for 8:00, we decided it would be best to clean her up and get all unhooked, filled with propane and ready to go. Once we did that, we spent the night at the "storage condo" and in the morning, I took Terry over to the camp so he could go over to the service center. All is well with the coach and we brought her over to Goshen for the week.

We are staying here while I finish up a couple doctor appointments. On Friday the 11th, we are heading out to Virginia to see Jocelyn, Tom and Ronan and Whiskey. That should be fun. We are anxious to see them.

Last night we visited with my niece Staci and husband Kevin along with Brianna and Collin. Collin just turned two. He was born prematurely at something like 29 weeks 2 years ago. He was incredibly tiny, but has certainly beaten the odds and developed normally. He was excited about the new toys. It was good to visit with them and my other niece and family. . . Michelle, Rod, Kirstin and Kira. Kira was born 5 years ago and was born was a serious heart problem. She spent a month at Riley Children's Hospital. You would certainly not know the child had such a rough start.

Things are winding down for us here. We will be back up here for a few days the end of September between doctor appointments and close the place up. This extra step was made possible by one doctor canceling and rescheduling Terry's appointment. I'm not sure when they planned to tell us. . . we found out by accident. So, a little inconvenient, but hey. . . we're flexible.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Good food, great friends!

The nice thing about the Elkhart Campground is that sooner or later, many of our friends pass through during the summer. . . either for repairs, rallies, or just a way point. That was the case this week for Jack and Susan. They are here getting some tweaking and service on their Newmar MountainAire motorhome. We had missed an opportunity earlier in the summer to connect with them, but this time we were determined not to let that happen again.

We met at lunch time at Olive Garden and enjoyed a wonderful meal and lots of conversation. It was great to talk with them and to hear about Clancy, their new Boston Terrier puppy. We didn't leave the restaurant until 2, but the staff was great and since the place wasn't too full, they allowed us to sit and visit after our meal.

We have been watching Nick and Terry Russell drooling over their new motorhome. They have been looking for a long time and found a 2002 Winnebago Ultimate Advantage and made the deal last week. It is a very nice unit and looks virtually unused on the inside. I'm sure they will be happy with it. Now (my) Terry has been drooling over some of the tools they intend to sell. I better check the storage bays or he will be casting out more of my stuff. He keeps telling me when I buy something new that I have to toss something. I do, but then when he buys something, he tosses something OF MINE too. Over the years, I have little stuff left. Hah.

Today is a work day over at the apartments. The windows guys will be here at 9 a.m. to start replacing windows in the last duplex that needs them. They will be done about 3 p.m. We also have two sliding patio doors to replace, but another contractor is doing that work later.

Terry brought the service truck back last night so that I could sleep in today and he could go over early. So Neal and I are hanging out at the moment. I think he wants his breakfast, though, so I better get moving.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Great visit with son Brandon and Megan

Thursday Brandon and girlfriend Megan flew to Indiana and we met them down at my Mom and Dad's place, next to my sister and family. We got to visit for a bit and then we all drove up to Warsaw and had dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. It's a favorite of everybody's, so that was easy. I got a picture of Mom and Dad with Brandon and Megan, so that was special.

The kids came back up to Goshen and we all spent the night at the "storage condo." Friday we took them to eat at Heinnie's. Megan was amused by the name, so she had to take some pictures. Hah! They left after lunch to head to Purdue where Brandon wanted to show her the campus and where he spent 4 1/2 years of his life. They are now making their way to Anderson where they will attend his ten-year high school reunion. What fun! Sunday they fly back to Florida.

It was great to see them, even if it was a short visit. We always enjoy the time spent with our children and grand one!

It's a dismal day here in north-central Indiana, so we will have to find something to do today. Hah!

Till next time. . .

Dale