Gypsy Journal Rally, Eastern Installment

The eastern GJR is now history. We arrived here in Celina, Ohio, after leaving Charlottesville 12 days ago. We came in early to have a 2005/2007 Graduating Classes reunion. We had great fun, although we would have liked to see more 2005 classmates. I know it's hard to all get together, but it would have been great to see more friends. We had campfires every night, except when it rained, which happened up until the time Ike went through. Then that Sunday when Ike bore down on central Ohio, we pulled 3 of our 4 slides in and stowed the DataStorm. I'm guessing the wind gusts were in the 50-60 mph category. We had very little rain, but what did fall was mixed with something (Terry says seaweed from the Gulf) and plastered the sides of our rigs. Everyone was out cleaning their rig the next day, but we waited until today when everyone was leaving and scrubbed Phaeton Place good so she looks nice and shiny now.

The Rally was great fun. It officially started Monday, and we helped with check-in on Sunday morning. There were lots of seminars to attend and you could surely learn a lot. We attended at least 2 everyday and some days more. We are wanting to make some changes in the decor of Phaeton Place and got some great ideas from several people. There were doughnuts and coffee every morning, and evening activities, i.e., door prizes, pizza party, jam sessions, games and just fireside chats--to name a few. We were lucky that the firepit was ouside our rig, so we didn't have to go far to check on the dogs. We had a great group of people we were camped with and enjoyed visiting with them.

The group was meeting for happy hour this afternoon, then going out for dinner before retiring to the campfire, but we are too tired. I still have the interior cleaning to do. We are headed for Summit Lake State Park, 3 miles from where we lived in our former life, and we are having a get-together of colleagues with whom I used to teach. One is bringing his rig to camp with us, so that will be great. Then we have doctor appointments all week.

We will be leaving here tomorrow and will get there in the early afternoon.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Moose Riding

Ronan on his Retro Rocket, Part Duex

Ronan on his Retro Rocket

Ronan Jumping!

Skyline Drive

On Sunday, the last day we would be with the kids, we decided to drive up on the Skyline Drive and take in about 40 miles of twists and turns so that we could see some scenery. After the rains from Hannah the day before, the morning dawned bright and sunshiny and promised to let us do just that.

The kids came out to the camp about 10:30 and we drove up Afton Mountain to the parkway. We stopped at several overlooks and took pictures. Jocelyn filled us in on what we were looking at because I don't know one mountain range from another or one valley from another. On the one side we were looking at the Shenandoah Valley which is really beautiful.

When we got to Loft Mountain, we stopped and visited the gift shop. Then we drove up to the campground for a look and to check out whether Phaeton Place would fit in any spots. Actually, she would, but I don't think I want to take her up there. A smaller motorhome would be perfect.

On our way back from the campground, we visited the amphitheatre where I was able to snap some pictures of Ronan. He sure is a sweetie and we love him and his parents very much.


We are now in our site at the Mercer County Fairgrounds in Celina, Ohio, where we are gathering for a "reunion" of our 2005 full-timing group. Then next week is the eastern gathering for the Gypsy Journal Rally. I'm sure that will be lots of fun. We were greeted by much cooler temperatures today when we arrived. It is supposed to stay that way through tomorrow, then get a little warmer during the days. Good rally weather because we don't have full hookups and with the dogs, we like it to be cooler.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Mystery Solved!

Well, sometimes I read too much. Jocelyn picked up a magazine about the Blue Ridge area and there was an article in it about a hiker who was bitten by a rattlesnake. He detailed his ordeal of suffering and eventual recovery from the snakebite.

That night I was awakened by a distinct "rattling" and immediately thought we had a snake in the motorhome. But I couldn't imagine how one would get in and thought it was my imagination. Then I heard it again. This time I noticed that Bailey, who normally sleeps on the couch, was laying on the floor right next to the bed. That is strange, so I figured that Bailey heard the same noise and sought out me for safety.

I told Terry about it the next morning and he didn't believe me. As I was working inside and he was outside, the rattle sounded again. I ran out the door to tell him. As I came back in, I heard it again, but he followed me in and heard nothing, of course. He said it was a cricket. . . nope, I know what they sound like and it wasn't a cricket.

A few nights before I was watching TV in bed late and Terry was asleep. As I lay there with only the light of the TV, I saw something fly through the room. I jumped up and turned on all the lights and woke Terry up, explaining what I just saw. We started searching. I actually thought it was the size of a hummingbird. We looked and looked. Couldn't find anything. As I was picking up the blankets, I caught something green out of the corner of my eye. There resting on the underneath side of the counter was a Katydid! Terry scooped up the little green guy and took him outside and let him loose.

As we were in the car getting ready to leave the next morning, we looked up to see a praying mantis on the back of the motorhome. I got out and found a twig and moved him to the outside and he flew away.

Back to the rattle. . . This morning it sounded loud and clear and Terry heard it. After we had the one katydid a few days ago, he became convinced we had another one. I downloaded the sound of a katydid on my computer and became certain as well that another was in our midst. I was washing the breakfast dishes and saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked to the floor and there sat another katydid, having fallen apparently from the air conditioning duct in the ceiling. This time I gently pinched his wings together and tossed him outside. So hopefully, our noises are gone now and the katydids are outside where they belong.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Wet and Wild!

We arrived in Charlottesville, Virginia, last Tuesday afternoon and have been spending time with Jocelyn, Tom, grandson Ronan and granddog Jericho. Grandchildren are certainly special and Ronan is no exception. I don't know what is so different about them. But they certainly are sweet. Ronan is about 16 months old, says several words and the bigger words are the most clear, I think. He takes a few steps, will stand all by himself, but prefers to drop and crawl if he has a large distance to cover. He always has a smile on his face, which will just melt your heart. He liked the piggy bank we brought him. It has large "coins" that count when you put them in the bank. It also has songs that play.

We have spent an evening walking on the UVA campus, pushing his stroller, walking the mall, and running errands for Jocelyn with Ronan in tow. Poor Tom has to work, but hopefully by getting out, we provide him with some peace and quiet. The days have been beautiful and warm with lots of sunshine. . . until today.

Today. . . well actually last night. . . the remnants of Hurricane Hannah barrelled up the eastern seaboard and we started getting a steady downpour around midnight. It continued all night and through the morning hours, stopping just after lunch. It was still overcast when we headed into town to see the kids, but there is a majesty of the Shenandoah Valley even with the rain, mist and fog. It changes the scenery and things look different but beautiful just the same. When we left them this afternoon and headed back to camp, the sun was shining and everything was even a richer green. It is easy to see why people fall in love with the mountains around this historic town and area.

We have had flash flood warnings show on our weather radio, but we are safe where we are and we have actually dried out a bit from the water we had standing around this morning.

Tomorrow will be our last day with the kids and I hate to see it end because we will miss them all. But we will see them again next spring when Ronan will be 2 years old. It hardly seems possible that he is just a few months from that milestone. I hope he does not forget Grandma Dale between now and then!

Till next time. . .

Dale

Rest in Peace, Wee Little Brody

Brody crossed the Rainbow Bridge this morning. He was the only Scotsman in the family of some dear friends and former colleagues of mine. He died of Blastomycosis, a lung disease common in Canada and many moist wooded areas. They breathe mold spores from the dirt, and it grows in their lungs. He showed no signs until a week ago today. He was not quite 2 years old.

The Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together. . . .

Author unknown

Food for Thought

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.

Stop when you have had enough.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by.

We miss you, Brody.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Camp Pull-Tab

We are in beautiful St. Paris, Ohio, at Camp Pull-Tab. We arrived yesterday around 2:30 p.m. Tab and Deanna fixed us a wonderful dinner of grilled marinated chicken, Funi salad, grilled potato wedges, and rolls. It was so good. Later we drove into Piqua for ice cream at the Dairy Queen. Really good.

We always enjoy our time here with our friends. We first met them when we all started full timing in the fall of 2005. We will be leaving here this morning and heading to Gallipolis, Ohio, where we will spend the night. Then it is onward to Charlottesville and Ronan! Well, we will see his parents too, but grandson Ronan is so, so special.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Happy Anniversary!

See anyone you know? Yep, that’s Terry and I on our wedding day. . . August 28, 1971, 37 years ago. We got married in Goshen, Indiana, on a beautiful August day. I had just graduated from Ball State and started my teaching career in Muncie. Terry had another year left of undergraduate school, then got his Masters the next year. He taught for four years with me and I finished up my Masters the following year.

We didn’t start adding to our family for five years, but we were camping in a tent! After Jocelyn was born, we graduated to a small trailer. Then we upgraded again when Brandon came along . . . typical tale of RV’ers, eh?

It was natural for us to continue RVing while the kids were growing up. We added boating to the mix and combined the two for many special weekends and vacations.

Now we fulltime in Phaeton Place and keep our boats at the lake in case we pass through. . . we drop them in the water and off we go. . .

It’s been a great ride so far, but we have just started.

Life is good. . .

Till next time. . .

Dale

Ride down the Canal trail

Thanks to all of you who paused to remember the people in Florida. Brandon was very lucky. . . looks like he dodged the bullet. By late last evening, the water was receding and today there is no water in his street. There were, unfortunately, many people who suffered losses and damage to their homes. There is just no way to prepare adequately for Mother Nature sometimes. Please continue to remember those people.

Today we loaded up our bikes and went to Goshen. We stopped at the trail head to the Millrace Canal trail. In our younger days, we always called this the mill race. It was actually the Millrace Hydraulic Canal. In 1898 the power of the hydraulic canal was harnessed by the Hawks Electric Company and provided electricity to Goshen and eight other communities! Wow! That was pretty exciting for 1898. Today a path along the side of the canal has been created to offer a place for bike rides, jogging, walking, and dog walking. There are benches along the way if you want to stop and rest. It passes next to Shanklin Park which is a park on the south side of Goshen. We rode on further to the end of the trail. It ends at the Elkhart River where the dam is. It is there the canal starts as a diversion from the river. The dam is as we remembered it except they have upgraded the sides and it has a park atmosphere.

I took pictures of several bridges along the canal. In its infancy, no doubt these bridges served horse and buggies and perhaps a couple of them cars decades later. Now they are closed to everything but foot traffic or bikes. I found them interesting.

Afterwards, we took a drive out in the country and stopped at our famous Amish general store where we bought some fresh produce and peaches.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Anybody got a bucket?

Son Brandon is sweating it out in Melbourne. Who knows exactly how many inches of rain they have had. That all becomes a moot point when you have to start sandbagging. Tropical Storm Fay has sat over Melbourne for much of the day, actually stalled and dumping, by some accounts, over 25 inches of rain. These pictures were all taken from his front door.

So far, it is not at his front door, but it is about 5 feet away. He has blocked the sidewalk to try and keep waves from splashing water into his house. Waves, you say? That's the result of SUV's flying down through the flooded streets of the neighborhood pulling kneeboarders. Proudly, I will say, Brandon, took care of that in short order. . . but probably none too kindly. He told them that they were causing water to splash up on their houses that everyone in the neighborhood was desperately trying to keep it out of their houses. The perpetrators sheepishly said they had not even thought about that and could see that they were definitely in error. They left and haven't been back. On his way back into the house, his neighbor stepped out and asked if he needed any help. The guy's wife had been after him to go out and confront the joyriders, but Brandon saved him from that.

The rain has let up a little and hopefully Brandon will have escaped the worst. But I'm not too proud to ask for prayers that TS Fay moves on out quickly and weakens to the point that those who are already suffering will be spared more damage and no one else will be subjected to the devastation of this storm.

Till next time. . .

Dale

For Rent!

Apartment for rent (1/2 duplex), between Goshen and Elkhart. Any takers?

We've been playing landlord for the last couple weeks. We have two tenants who are moving the end of the month and we would like to get them rented asap so we can get out of here before the snow flies. We've had a few things we've been doing. I've done some trim painting and Terry's been tinkering. We've done some visiting with our tenants and neighbors. We try to ride bikes every evening, but this is pretty boring if you ask me.

Phaeton Place is at Elkhart Campground waiting for us. We will be leaving here in two weeks, headed to Charlottesville, Virginia, to see Ronan and his parents. Then we will be returning to Ohio to attend the Gypsy Journal Rally. After that it will be back to Indianapolis for our second round of doctor appointments for the year and then we will come back up here and close the place up for the winter. We may stay later if the apartments are not yet rented. Ho-hum.

We did take some time on Tuesday this week to go to Shipshewana. We enjoy walking the flea market and finding a few things that we still don't have. I was surprised that I was able to hold out as long as Terry, but then we did not walk fast and took breaks, so that helped.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Update on hip problem

Ok, the doctor's office just called. I have an L5 nerve root disc herniation. The L5 disc is bulging and pushing on the nerve root. I also have degenerative bursitis in my hip. She immediately said she would be faxing over an order for an epidural to one of their doctors.

I said no, I am not having another epidural. The last one only lasted 9 months. She said that was a "good" result. I promptly put on 20 pounds I haven't been able to get rid of. I had 3 months of acupuncture later which is still giving me relief, so I am NOT going to get a shot now.

I still believe the pain I am feeling is in my hip, directly related to the fall on concrete, and it is finally starting to get better. Swimming in Brandon's pool seemed to really help. The nurse did say that swimming was the best thing I could do and the doctor would recommend that along with the swish ball (big ball). I have had the back problem all my life, originating with a Pars 5 defect. . . I know it is no doubt progressing, but I am not ready to go the epidural route. Last week was the first MRI I ever had on my back, so I don't know if it is better/worse/same than before.

What I really need to do is embark on a program of fitness and stick to it. In Texas, I will have a swimming pool, so that is a plus. The hip is finally getting better and I only have pain when I do certain things. Otherwise, things are improving. The nurse did say I might need another shot in the hip. The epidural would include a shot to the nerve root, but I am not going to do that.

So that is the problem. At least I know now. I would appreciate hearing from any readers out there who experience similar problems and what has worked for you.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Good for another 5 years!

Well, the high school reunions are history and we are good for another 5 years. This year marked our 40th reunions, having both graduated in 1968. Terry graduated from Concord High School and I graduated from Goshen High School, both in Indiana. My reunion was last month and his was last night.

Terry's festivities started with a meeting at a classmate's home on the Elkhart River. Mike bought a home there and is refurbishing it. It is really beautiful already and he isn't done with it yet. He and his wife actually live and work in Phoenix, but grew up in the area and are working on this home in the summer. We met there on Thursday night to review the setup for the reunion and to work on getting some decorations ready. Mike treated us to a cookout and then a boat ride on the Elkhart River. I have never done that and it was a really nice ride, getting to see some of the fabulous houses from the river side instead of the road.

Friday night we met at Harrison Landing, a bar in downtown Elkhart. We weren't sure what to expect here because downtown Elkhart is not really a "great" place, but the bar was very nice and friendly and we had about 25 classmates and spouses meet. We all enjoyed a great evening and it was good to talk with people and share where our lives had taken us in the last 40 years.

The reunion on Saturday night was at the Elks Country club in Elkhart and we started with a lot of visiting with classmates as they arrived. Dinner was delicious and afterwards, we were treated to a casino night. We were each given $100,000 in play money to start and they had blackjack tables and a roulette wheel. I gave my money to Terry because it was his night. He doubled our "holdings" and used his winnings to buy a couple items that were donated. What fun!

We didn't leave until about 12:30 a.m. and we came straight home. We were tired. We don't keep late hours like that anymore and we were really beat. Today we had to get up early with the dogs, but we both went back to bed and slept until about noon.

It's been a lazy day and I've been doing laundry and troubleshooting a computer. Grrrr. Tomorrow we are taking Phaeton Place over to the Elkhart Campground for storage until September 1st. Sniff sniff. But we must get these two apartments rented.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Brandon's House

Here is a picture of Brandon's house. This is where we were last week helping him with the finishing touches.

Till next time . . .

Dale

Heading to Indiana. . .

Florence, Alabama, is situated on the Tennessee River. I mentioned we were camped there. Here is a picture of one of the tugs pushing a barge down the river. There were several barges. I heard the engines of a tug after we went to bed one night and raise my blind to see the lights of the tug pushing the barge downriver. I have also included a picture of the back of our campsite. We had enough room to park our trailer on the lot and still have a place for the truck.

We had some errands to run and one was to the local Petco to get dog treats as the boyz were almost out. Right outside on the wall of the petshop was this little bat. I'm not sure why he was there, but he was alive. He had cobwebs on him and it appeared he was trying to groom himself and get them off. I almost wanted to help him, but I didn't. Later we noted he was gone. I hope he flew off and no one disturbed him.

We did do some sightseeing around Florence. We went to visit the Joe Wheeler State Park. It appears to be an older park and not much in the way of sites big enough for Phaeton Place. They had a few, but it was very heavily forested, so none of our satellite systems would work. But it was a nice park. We crossed the Wheeler Dam on our way back to the camp.

Today we drove up to Shepherdsville, Kentucky, to Grandma's RV Campground and will be here until Monday when we head to Goshen to play landlord and hopefully get a couple apartments rented. We just learned this week they will be vacated in September.

Till next time . . .

Dale

PS: I have been asked to mention in my blog that prior to the Gypsy Journal Rally in Celina, Ohio, in September, the Graduating Class of 2005 is going to have a reunion, aka, getogether. We would love to see as many classmates as possible. See here http://escapees.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1511067051/m/9081021113 It will be a fun time and we hope you can make it!

New Windshield!

Terry got it fixed yesterday. The repair guy said we were really lucky. If it had hit an inch down, it would have gone through the windshield and being just left of center, it would have hit me, the driver. Not good. That probably would have resulted in my losing control of the car pulling the 12' enclosed trailer. He said it was heavy and very high velocity. I'm thinking airplane part since it apparently bounced from what I saw. Or shot from a homemade cannon. But it was a rural remote area. . . I don't think it likely was a prank. The repair guy said it also bent the windshield frame and he rarely sees that happen. But that is what deflected it upwards over us.

I know Terry was in the other seat, but more likely God was/is my co-pilot. I normally react very badly to loud sharp noises that startle me. Balloons, for instance, terrify me. I know in a former life someone must have tied me down and popped balloons around my head! It hit, Terry yelled, and I calmly just kept going as though nothing had happened.

We are in Florence, Alabama, arriving from Red Bay late yesterday morning. We are at McFarland park. I would tell you more about it, but I'd like to keep it a secret. . . oh well. It is a city park along the Tenneesse River just past the yacht harbor. What a lovely park. 50 Amp, full hookups, $18, but we paid $15 because of Terry's Golden Access pass. The section we are in has long, wide paved sites and concrete picnic tables. The paved area is probably 20' x 70' long and a good distance between sites and that is nice grass. We are out in the open by choice, due to our satellite systems, but you can have shade if you like. Plenty of parking. They told us we could put our trailer in the parking lot behind us, but there is plenty of room and we have it on our site. There is a beach here. We are about 30 yards from the river and there is some barge and boat traffic which is fun to watch. The dogs are happy to be back home, but I know they enjoyed their time at Uncle Brandon's. Bailey especially liked sniffing all the new smells and because of the fence, he didn't have to be confined. I don't think Neal liked the fact that a hose was handy so every time he got dirty he got hosed off. I liked that, though.

We are here today and tonight, regrouping, then we start our trek toward Indiana. I am trying to get an appointment with my hip doctor early next week. The shot did not work and I continue to have a lot of pain. If I do nothing, I'm fine, but who wants to do nothing? Not me. So I do a lot and have a lot of pain.

We will no doubt take a slower drive north than when we came down. We have no deadlines, and since we are driving separate (motorhome + car pulling trailer) we will take our time.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Caught a rock chip today!

Have no idea where it came from. I saw it coming in a big arc and realized as soon as it hit what it was, but there was no stopping it. Only one car approaching us head on and I didn't see anyone hanging out a window tossing rocks. It was on a state highway in southern Alabama, out in the rural area. It will remain a mystery. . . a meteor? a part off an airplane?

It covered us with glass, but fortunately the safety glass crumbles more than shatters. We happened to have a dust buster in the trailer, so stopped a short time later and cleaned it up. It probably is a good thing I didn't have time to react. Had I slowed down or swerved one way or the other it may have hit lower and gone through the windshield and hit one of us.

Stay safe out there. . .

Till next time. . .

Dale

Who says it's too hot in Florida?

People seem to complain about the weather no matter where they are. Our son loves Florida weather so much, he bought a house here and does not plan on leaving. He has a motorcycle also and loves to ride and rides all year.

Is it hot? You betcha! But we left Red Bay, Alabama, last week on a day the forecast called for 97*. Now 97* is Red Bay is pretty miserable. The forecast for Melbourne, Florida, the same day was 87*. Melbourne sits right on the Indian River south of Cocoa and there seems to be a breeze most of the time. It does get hot and humid during the day, but it is nice enough mornings and evenings to sit out. Very few bugs have bothered us, an occasional mosquito perhaps, but in the evening the frogs are the noisiest. Perhaps that's why there aren't any mosquitoes. We did clear up one mystery for Brandon. He talked about seeing some kind of strange "mold" on top of the water in his swimming pool every morning. "Son," I said, "that isn't mold . . . those little black dots in the water are froggie eggs." Hah. A quick start of the filter gets rid of those top floaters. The frogs are out at night and they hang around the pool. They aren't too shy and you can usually see them. They are loud! We are usually in the pool for a midnight swim and they don't seem to like it. Something about being in a swimming pool in the dark surrounded by jungle-like plants and hearing this really loud croaking sound makes you think you are in a scene from Jurassic Park. Then you might also see a little skenk dart across the pool deck. Speaking of which, I caught one yesterday in our bedroom. Just a little guy and he was heading for the dog's pen. I got him cornered then called for backup. They are so fast! I think they are cute, but don't care to have them in my bedroom. They usually die in the house because they can't find food.

The work continues on the house. You should have to pass an IQ test to buy a house and then paint it. Grrrr. Brandon's house was a foreclosure and the only problems with it are purely cosmetic. That's good. But the goofy guy who had it painted the interior and never masked out a thing. He painted the top edge of all the woodwork the same color as the walls and that looks really tacky. So, with my steady hand, I have been slowly repainting that top edge. He also slopped paint up at the ceiling which has a popcorn finish and that is also requiring my talents. This is the most time consuming task we have had. . . well that I have had. He also had holes in the ceiling where he intended to put lights, etc. The holes are now history, thanks to Terry's drywalling skills. He had mounted a TV on a wall in the bedroom and just cut out a humongous hole apparently looking for a stud. That is filled and finished now. He stole about half the light switches and in the living room, put in black boxes with covers on a green wall. Looked really trashy. Just switching all those to white made a big difference. All the light switches and covers are now fixed and the mystery of what switch does what has been solved. Most of what we are doing now is touching up the paint and cleaning. Brandon has a new ceiling fan in his bedroom that works by remote. Very nice.

There is still stuff that needs to be done, but we are about done with what we can/will help with. I think he will eventually repaint, but with his job, he frequently has to travel a week at a time, and that doesn't give him a lot of time to plan a big painting job.

Not quite sure when we will leave. Perhaps Wednesday. I want to finish the trim painting. I will take pictures when we are done.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Fun in the Sun!!!!!

We are here in sunny Melbourne, Florida, at Brandon's house! We left Goshen on Sunday and drove to Cave City, Kentucky, where we spent the night at Cave Country RV Park. It was very nice and comfortable, although a little pricey. We left there at 8:10 Monday morning and drove into Red Bay at 2:30 that afternoon. The dogs are riding nicely and are cozy in their little separate beds Terry made them in the back seat of the truck. He built a console to keep them separate and to keep things from shifting when/if Neal falls over.

We talked with the service people and they were going to put the refrigerator in the next day and put Phaeton Place back in her slot and plugged in to make sure it works. We left Tuesday morning at 7:30 headed to Melbourne--hoping to get there in one day.

It was a long drive, but we got here at 11:30 p.m. Brandon was asleep so we had to call him and wake him up. He knew we were coming though. We didn't unload anything from the trailer. We just got it backed into the drive and grabbed our suitcases and went to bed. The dogs are also restless when they are "out of their element" and took a while to settle down. They both wanted to sleep with us on the airbed, but we put their cushions down and they finally slept. . . till 5:30, then they wanted up. We decided to get up and get to work.

Brandon's house was a foreclosure and people do really stupid things when they are losing a house. This guy took the light switches. Not all of them. . . just enough to be annoying. In order to get the porch light on, you had to put two wires together. Such an idiot. There were also very few switch plate covers. Lots of lightbulbs missing. . . and he bent the poles on the doorbell, so it is ruined. Really stupid stuff. He also had done some repainting and never bothered to take anything off the walls. He slopped paint on switch and outlet covers, the bathtub, etc. Fortunately, with Terry having a degree in electronics, he made short work of all the electrical stuff. They are done and finished and didn't take too much time. I like to paint, particularly the small detail stuff, so I am going to clean up the transition areas and the baseboards.

Last evening after we had worked a good part of the day, we donned our swimsuits and swam in the pool. Fortunately, the guy did nothing to it and it is very nice. It looked like a storm was brewing, so when it started lightning, we got out, but it only rained.

Brandon has to work, of course, but he is working from home this week, so at least he is handy if we have questions. Things are really shaping up and he has a nice place here. The dogs have settled in and are glad they have a fenced yard in which to wander.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Home Again!

We are finally home again. . . and rolling down the highway. We left Goshen this morning with Phaeton Place headed for Red Bay. The only problem with this trip is that we are driving separately. Phaeton Place has to go to Red Bay and get a new refrigerator and the truck is pulling the enclosed trailer with all the furniture and stuff from our "storage condo" on its way to Brandon's new house in Melbourne, Florida. We were originally going to just take the truck and trailer, but when the reefer had to be replaced, we decided to combine the trips; and by having the motorhome with us, it gives us a place to stay for the night. We are in Cave Country RV park in Cave City, Kentucky. Plan to get to Red Bay tomorrow, spend the night, then make the mad dash to Melbourne. With both of us driving, we actually plan to make it to Brandon's in one day from Red Bay. That would keep us from having to find a pet friendly hotel, but we can if we have to.

The day started out quite nicely, not real hot, and it had rained, so everything was wet. But we were all packed and just had to load some odds and ends. Terry re-did the dogs' "nest" in the back seat of the Sport Trac and it is quite comfortable for them and keeps them separated. He built a tall box to separate their pens and it doubles as a console which will be nice when we are all together driving to Florida. There is enough room in it for our small cooler we will use to carry water in for the trip down.

Since the reefer is getting replaced, it is virtually empty except for a few Healthy Choice TV dinners. That is what we are eating on the way down since we emptied the refrigerator. Once the new one is in and we pick up the coach on the way back from Florida, we will get a few things in it.

It is certainly warm here, 96* when we arrived and we have all the air conditioners on cooling the coach. It is comfortable in here now. I think I will sleep well in my own bed tonight and the drive tomorrow will be smooth.

Till next time. . .

Dale

The quiet is eerie!

Ronan, along with Mom, Dad, and doggie Jericho, left Friday morning and arrived home in Charlottesville, Virginia, 12 1/2 hours later. We miss them already, but they had to return and we had other things on our schedule as well.

The kids did manage to sneak away for a couple days and went to the Indiana Dunes National Seashore and did some hiking and "swimming" in Lake Michigan. From the pictures, it appears my grandson loves throwing sand and sitting in the water playing with his bucket and shovel. While they were gone we kept Jericho, their black standard poodle. He is a real sweety, but stayed glued to my side while they were gone. Their departure that day led to the reappearance of Bailey. Bailey for some reason does not like Jocelyn and prefers to keep his distance. He lay in the back hallway at the back door while he was inside. Once they were gone and he realized it, he came back out and communed with the rest of us. When they returned a few days later, he was back in the hall. Hmmmm. Strange behavior.

I took the kids down to the woods south of Warsaw where Mom and Dad (my parents) and Jim and Nita (sister and brother-in-law) live. They had wanted to see where they live and see Jim and Nita's new house.

This weekend was my 40th high school reunion. Friday night there was a "mixer" at the local Travel Lodge and we always enjoy those. We had a good time and I enjoyed seeing people I had gone to school with, some for as long as 13 years. They had lots of food and drink and no one went away hungry.

Yesterday, some of us met at the Olympia candy kitchen in downtown Goshen. This soda fountain/candy kitchen is an institution in Goshen and most all of us spent time during our high school years slurping up milkshakes, sodas or rootbeer floats after ball games. It was so much fun. Then last night was the big event. We met again at the Travel Lodge and donned name tags with our high school graduation pictures on them. It's the only way to tell who people are, because that is the way we remember them. What great fun. There were picture boards posted around with pictures of the last reunion on them and lots of yearbooks and gradeschool and junior high books to help us recapture our youth. Hah. Snacks were laid out to nibble on while we mingled around and talked with people we hadn't seen in a long time. . . some for 40 years. Two of my best friends from high school were there, Luanne and Barbara. We had a lot of fun revisiting with one another. Luanne and I stay in touch throughout the year and we usually have dinner during the summer when we drop into Indiana. We are going to do the same with Barb and her husband. We just have so much to talk about!

Dinner was delicious. The committee did an outstanding job of lining up a caterer and the food was wonderful. We topped it all off with a graduation cake. What could be better! We had a DJ who started playing music after dinner and a lot of people joined in the dancing.

We really love going to our reunions. Each one is different. Terry's 40th is coming up in one month. One of the greatest despairs is that many people who don't attend are ones who live in town. It is a mystery to me why they don't come. They may think we know where they are at, but with a class of 258, it is hard to keep track of people. If you are one of those people who don't attend your high school reunion because you don't think people are interested in seeing you, YOU ARE WRONG!!! Make plans to attend your next one. You may just be surprised!

Till next time. . .

Dale

Ronan's arrival!

Ronan, Jocelyn, Tom and Jericho arrived last Thursday about 12:30 a.m., having driven non-stop from Charlottesville, Virginia. It wouldn't have been a difficult drive had the last 160 miles not been done in a driving rainstorm. But they arrived safely and I knew they were coming, so I camped out in the recliner and cat-napped so I could get a hug from my grandson as soon as they got here. At 14 1/2 months, he is a little wary of strangers, but it doesn't take him long to warm up. He is such a cutie, as I'm sure all grandparents feel about their grandbabies, so I am no exception in that department. He isn't quite walking, but "cruises" around tables and furniture, so you have to keep a constant eye on him. I had to go out and buy foam "corners" for the one coffee table in the living room as the corners are extemely sharp. We also took one of those "noodles" for swimming pools and slit it lengthwise down one side. We slipped that over the front edge of the table and that made a nice tight fit on the table and protected him from getting hurt.

Ronan particularly likes Neal, our handicapped Scottie, who he calls "ki" shorty for kitty. We keep telling him dog, but I think because of Neal's white fur, he thinks kitty. He has now started to call him "daw. ." short for dog. Neal is a rescue, surrendered because he supposedly bit a child. Neal cannot escape situations due to his disability, so we watch him carefully with the baby, but he has done nothing but show a little curiosity about Ronan. We don't let Ronan crawl on him or anything, but it is cute to see the two interact. Neal likes people and is socialable, preferring the company of his humans rather than the other dogs.

Thursday evening I went with the kids to see Uncle Bill and Aunt Francis in Niles, Michigan. Terry stayed home with the dogs. Jerry suffers from separation anxiety, so someone has to stay with him all the time. Uncle Bill was glad to see the kids and to see Ronan for the first time. Uncle Bill is recovering from lung cancer and the latest report is that the cancer is gone. Truly an answer to prayer. He has suffered some strokes and so his speech is a little difficult for him, but we have no trouble understanding him.

Saturday evening we had all my family in. . . or as many as could make it. Jocelyn's cousins came: Staci and family (they have Collin, the preemie baby I wrote about earlier and Breanna), Michelle and family with their 2 girls, Al (Carie's husband--she had to work) with their 3 boys, Kellie and her friend Ryan. Then my sister Nita and hubby, Nancy (sister-in-law) and hubby Tom, and my Mom and Dad. Whew! We had grilled chicken, brats, pigs-in-blankets for the kids, homemade macaroni and cheese, baked beans, rolls, quinoa salad, fresh fruit with dip, veggies with dip and cake. Everything was wheat/gluten/soy free because of Jocelyn's allergies. That way we could pass babies around without worrying about any allergic reactions.

We had worked hard the week before and got the basement family room all cleaned up and cleaned out so the kids would have a place to play. Boy am I glad we did. They had a lot of fun. The dogs survived and all is well.

Jocelyn, Tom and Ronan left Sunday for the Indiana Dunes National Seashore. We are keeping Jerry with us as they cannot take him out on the beach. He is sticking to me like glue. . . and I do mean glue. I have to be careful walking because he has to be touching me. Bailey is not sure he likes that, so I have two dogs on me. . . one on each side. Jerry brought his bed with him but has yet to sleep in it. Neal likes it and makes sure he is the first to the bedroom at night so he can get to it first. Last night Bailey wanted his turn and Neal was not yielding, so Bailey joined him in the bed, which made Neal extremely nervous. We got a picture of them as Bailey was exiting. Bailey only left because he doesn't like his picture taken, not because he was yielding. It was quite funny. We still put our boyz in their pen with their beds and let Jerry have his, although so far he has opted to sleep next to our bed.

We have had a few minor disagreements, primarily between Bailey and Jerry, but nothing major and things are going quite smoothly. The kids are due back tomorrow sometime, then they will be heading back to Virginia.

The last shot is Ronan in his new Bass Pro Shop camp chair which we got him.

Till next time. . .

Dale

A great story!

Last summer around Labor Day, my niece Staci went into early labor and delivered her baby boy, Collin, 7 weeks premature. Babies this young at one time would never survive outside the womb, but Collin's cord had collapsed and he wasn't going to make it unless he was born and took his chances in the outside world. While he was very tiny at just over 2 pounds, he didn't have other complications and was able to go home several weeks later. The last time I saw him before we left for the the winter was in an incubator. Last week I went over to their house and got to see little Collin and big sister Breanna. Collin is trying hard to crawl and kind of rocks on the floor. He is such a cutie and seems real interested in going after anything Breanna has out to play with. It is a wonderful thing that we have the technology to help these babies and we are all thankful little Collin is such a fighter.

Till next time. . .

Dale

About to get my Ronan fix!

Grandson Extraordinnaire Ronan and his Mom and Dad and doggie Jericho are coming for a visit. They will leave Virginia tomorrow morning and will be here either late tomorrow night or sometime on Thursday. I am so excited to see them all, but at almost 15 months, Ronan is the one who changes almost daily. His Grandma Sharon gets to see him more often as they are closer and she sends me lots of pictures. Ronan is so fortunate to have great parents and two sets of really great grandparents as well.

Yesterday we did a lot of running around. We had the pickup loaded with stuff from out of the basement destined to Good Will. A lot of this stuff was left over from our push to full time. That job is just so overwhelming, as many of you know, and since we had an empty basement in which to store stuff, that is where a lot of it went. We have probably taken well over 10 pickup loads to GW loaded with our stuff and stuff left over from Terry's parents. We have taken a load or two to the landfill and another couple loads to recycling. We are pretty much down to the nitty gritty now. I have so many cases of photos. My plan was to scan them all into the computer and put them on DVD's. That has yet to happen however.

My sister Nita and husband Jim brought our enclosed trailer up from their woods on Sunday. It is such a nice trailer and we bought it when we were moving all this household stuff. They are expensive to buy, but resale isn't so great, so we decided to keep it. Jim and Nita were building their house and Mom and Dad had yet to move, so we figured it would get plenty of use. We were right. It is now in the drive hooked up to the Sport Trac loaded with furniture and Brandon's stuff. In a few weeks we will be headed to Florida to take it to Brandon's new house. He is getting a dining room set and a futon and then his boxed stuff he never had room for before. I am sure a lot of the stuff he will just pitch, but it is his stuff and he will need to make that decision.

Actually when we leave here, Terry and I will be caravanning with Phaeton Place. She has to go to Red Bay, Alabama, to get a new refrigerator, so we are driving the truck/trailer and the motorhome to Alabama where we will leave the motorhome. From there we will head straight to Florida with the trailer and help Brandon out with some minor work on his new house. Once we are done there, we head back to Alabama, pick up Phaeton Place and head north. Once back up here, we will be at the Elkhart Campground. Our work on the apartments is finished for the year, but our "storage unit" needs some work, so it will be easier to work on it when we are not staying here.

Till next time. . .

Dale