Leaving the Snow Behind 2018-2019

We headed out in between snow storms and things didn't go as expected.  Because the grass had snow on it and the temps were around freezing the driveway was slippery.  When loading the motorcycle the back wheel flipped off the ramp and left us hanging!  After thinking for a few minutes I held the motorcycle on and held the brake on while Hubby went for a jack to lift the back wheel.  A few attempts and then I went for help from a neighbor.  If the bike fell it would be a disaster.  Neighbor helped and bike is securely loaded.  WHEW!!

Drove straight through to a FMCA campground (overnight spot) in Cincinnati OH.  Their system has changed since last April and all spots were by reservation only and had to be done on line.  Really?!  I figured it out and we booked a couple of nights.  Arrived on Friday and left on Sunday.  Another 6 hour drive on Sunday to Maggie Valley NC.  Not thrilled with this Coast to Coast park.  They add fees of $20/night on what should be free.  Anyway we were booked to we're staying one week.  It would be hard to find something that would allow us to stay through Thanksgiving.

Monday we visited the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley NC.  It was so cool and had a real history of motorcycles.

The story of the motorcycle behind the wall in Chicago was very interesting.  Google it if you get a chance.

Today we went hiking in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.  I think it was Purchase Knob that we climbed.  It took one and a half hours to climb and one hour to descend.  At the top there is a beautiful building that is used for Educational Science.  My fitbit says I hiked 13000 steps and went up 74 flights of stairs.   There were no stairs lol.

View from the Educational Science Center at the top.

This picture must have been on the way up because we're still smiling.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.  We have so much to be thankful for.

New Past Time

Back in January of this year I finally taught myself to crochet.  I have always crocheted a little, just to finish a knit project or something simple but didn't know how to follow a pattern to complete a project all crocheted.  At a craft store I had picked up a book Teach Yourself to Crochet and it was for 18" doll cloths.  Perfect!  It was total Greek to me lol.  But I persevered and now I really enjoy it as much as knitting.

One of the projects had me really confused and I contacted my sister-in-law for help.  She said "Oh, that's just a Granny Square stitch".  Good to know, but how do you do it?  After a few texts back and forth and watching a video or two I learned to really like it and decided when we got home I'd make an afghan with all the colorful yarns I have in my stash.  Have to say I love the finished project.  I made one for myself and my daughter liked it so I made one for her.

My sister-in-law said that you can use any similar weight yarn but to do the outer row and connecting row in the same color.  Traditionally it's done in black but I like the chocolate brown I used. It's still a dark color and but a little softer than black.

The first one just had a double crochet shell around the outside edge to finish it all.  The second one I made I used all the different colors to make the border.

I like to do small knit or crochet projects during the winter and for this winter I found a book using a lot of different knit stitches to make an afghan.  All one color but different squares using different patterns.  I'll post when finished...hopefully next Spring.

Slab City California

I think I've figured out how to add pictures to a post on my Mac.  Still not sure if it will work every time but I'll take this and run with it.

Back in February 2015 we were in the Arizona/California area.  We'd always heard of and were looking forward to visiting Slab City in California.  We kind of knew what to expect but it was still an eye opener.  

Because this was so long ago I don't remember all of the details about the location and hope I'll be able to post on the road when everything is fresh in my mind.

Just wanted to get this out there and see if it worked.

GEORGIA

GEORGIA

December 16 & 17, 2015

Well we’re on the road again. We left home the day after Thanksgiving (11/27/15) and began our travels with a trip to Myrtle Beach SC. A two week stay at Briarcliff RV Resort was a great place to start. We met up with family and did a lot of walking. Barefoot Landing and Broadway at the Beach provided us with lots of fun walking. They both offer lots of high end stores and outside fresh air. Barefoot Landing has 3 bridges that go over water and is peaceful and serene. I found a few things that I haven’t seen before so made a couple of small purchases.

We walked downtown a few times and enjoyed the quiet side of the strip since it is off season right now. The big ferris wheel was running a few times when we were there but we didn’t feel the urge to hop on lol. Walking along the beach on the ocean was an absolute treat. The days were comfortable and we could have stayed out there for hours (actually we did stay out there for hours).

Left there and headed to Georgia. Stopping in Brunswick for a few days we travelled back to Savannah on the 16th. Loved the Historic Downtown area. We took a 90 minute trolley tour and got a good lay of the land. The town is set along a riverfront and goes back about a mile. there are ‘squares’/parks in the center of several intersections. The large oak trees are all dripping with spanish moss and are hundreds of years old. In the ‘historic district’ everything must remain true to its original structure or period. There are new buildings that look just like the old ones right next to them. The brick color is the same and they maintain the general architectural design from that period. Loved this area and one could spend days just walking the waterfront and local streets. Lots of shopping and small dining opportunities.

Today we took in Jekyll Island. Again, the history is amazing! The island was bought by a few wealthy men from the northeast and they formed a hunting club on the island. The homes they built were to be simple since there was no one there to impress. Most of the homes did not have kitchens since they were all to take their meals together at the Jekyll Island Clubhouse. It is said that when they all joined for dinners the room contained 6% of the worlds’ wealth.

Most members came to the island for the winter season from January 1st to March 31st. Families and staff came with them and women were given all rights that the men had on the island. The majority of the homes were built on the Jekyll River side of the island so the evenings could be spent watching the sun set and enjoy a gentle breeze instead of the stronger winds on the ocean side.

We enjoyed a 90 minute tour of the historic area. Because there were only 8 of us on the tour the guide treated us to special viewing of areas that are not on the usual tour. We were permitted to go to the upper floors of the two homes we toured. The homes were beautiful but simple. The time (early 1800’s) was a time when the servant staff was to be seen but not heard. There were separate doors in the back for the staff to come and go from. There was also a separate back stairway for them to travel in. The owners were people of leisure and didn’t want to see anyone else work either lol. They didn’t want to make their own beds but then again they didn’t want to see someone else make it either. It would seem that there was just a bedroom fairy that came in and did the chores when no one was looking lol.

The Island was bought by the State of Georgia and turned into a park. All of the original furnishings and sculptures were put into one building and the buildings were refurbished and then furnished to the best of their knowledge back to the original.

It was such a beautiful day we decided to lunch on the porch of the Jekyll Island Hotel and it took you back in time to the early 1800’s to be sure. So peaceful and being off season there were no crowds.

After lunch we drove around the island and stopped for a walk on Driftwood Beach. This is an experience that you won’t see every day. The whole shoreline is littered with whole trees (roots and all) that have been weathered to driftwood. Again, no crowds.

It was a lovely day enjoying a history of days gone by. The thing that most impressed me was the LARGE oak trees that are dripping with spanish moss. They are IMPRESSIVE!!!

We head to Florida tomorrow. We plan on moving every couple of weeks but if an opportunity presents itself to stay longer in a spot we like then we’ll jump at it.

Belle Isle

Today we took a day trip to Belle Isle. It was my sisters idea but then she couldn't go. Life, what you going to do?

It was a nice but windy day and perfect for the park. I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was. We'd been there in the past when the kids were little, but that was probably 35 years ago. Time sure flies ;)

We had taken a lunch and ate in the car because it was windy. Then while driving around we stopped at the lighthouse on the island. We parked the car and got out. I immediately found two pennies on the ground. Have you heard stories about deceased family or friends leaving pennies to tell you they are watching you? Pennies from heaven.

The story goes that my Dad who lived in The City of Detroit used to drive around the city and pick up (clean up) cans and bottles on Sunday morning (after the weekend) then redeem the cans for the deposit monies and go buy day old bread to feed the deer at Belle Isle. So I was immediately touched that my Dad was with me on my visit today.

The island is a literal diamond in the rough in the City of Detroit. The whole waterfront is beautiful.

After leaving the island we drove down Jefferson Ave from Grosse Pointe to Grosse Pointe Woods to Grosse Pointe Shores (you get the picture). The homes are BEAUTIFUL and very large. If only they could turn the City of Detroit around. It is the most beautiful city with the most beautiful setting. Get rid of the crime and corruption and the people would swarm to the beautiful city.

Oh and did I forget to mention this gem is nestled between Detroit and Windsor? A MUST visit if in the area.

Yuma Arizona Jan, Feb, Mar 2015

Since I wrote in February we have been very busy. I joined a pottery class thinking I was just going to make a few things. Well, they sell you 25# of clay and you are then committed to using it up. Classes are Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon. Ties up a lot of time, but I'm retired :) So far I've made 9 toys for the kids (one didn't work and so I made a backup and a backup to the backup and a backup to the backup) you get the picture. They turned out really cute can't wait to give them to the kids. I made Christmas Ornaments which turned out okay - they are handmade lol The teapot I made really isn't supposed to be functional just decorative. Two small cereal bowls. A small veggie tray, two small serving dishes, a larger kind of bowl and a small bowl. It was fun, but would have been more fun if I was good at it. I'm not!

I also started going to the knitting class which ended up not having any other knitters but we met in the same room as the quilters so I just knitted and visited. Nice group of women. That ended kind of abruptly because everyone left early lol

There was a vintage car show here at the resort that was very nice and they had a burger bash the same day. There is always oldies music on around the pool and that is where the burger bashes are held. There was another really large vintage car show that we went to. It is a very popular thing for old people to do lol The Cocopah Casino had a lo rider car show on their grounds that was very cool.

We've gone to Thursday night free Jazz Concerts at the Yuma Regional Mall every Thursday night after having dinner at a number of different local spots.

The Yuma Marine Corp had a very cool Air Show for two days. Some of the planes are AMAZING!! The things they can do and how quickly they can turn and respond just boggles the mind.

Sunday mornings found us at the Quartermasters for a Farmers Market and Tuesdays there was a Farmers Market at Historic Downtown Yuma. Roger has done a few hikes without me because I was in pottery or knitting and we've done a few together.

We also took a drive into California a few times. One Sunday we went to San Diego to visit my niece and her family. Jennifer was so gracious and took us touring around like last years visit. This time we went to the USS Midway. It is a large carrier ship with lots of planes on it. We had a good time even though Jackson took ill and Dick went home with him.

The motorcycle also gave us some fun afternoons riding around in this beautiful weather. Roger has since sold the motorcycle to buy a larger one only after ours was gone we reconsidered because a larger bike is heavier and might not travel well on the back of the motorhome. We'll get another one when we get home and figure out how to transport it. Thinking a truck that the motorcycle will fit into.

The resort where we are staying is very nice.  There are two pools and two spas.  I haven't spent too much time in the pool, but some.  I've also really enjoyed the library that they have set up.  You can be as busy or quiet as you want to here.  One morning we got up early and went on a group hike to learn about coyotes.  Let me tell you these old people are in good shape lol  I've done a lot of knitting and reading and I enjoy both.

If all goes well my final projects in pottery will be done on Tuesday and we'll head out. We still want to go to the desert for a few days, possibly visit family in Tuscon and Phoenix and then check out Sedona. If the weather looks reasonable we are trying to visit Rheta in Colorado but only if the weather looks good. It's been a long time from home and I miss everyone more that you can imagine. Look forward to seeing everyone again and just being home.

MICROWAVE MEATLOAF

MICROWAVE MEATLOAF

This recipe was obtained while taking a pottery class. The instructor was making these funny dishes on the wheel that looked like a weird candleholder. It is a low dish with a dip kind of dish in the middle. You can use any low microwavable dish and just put a shot glass or similar microwavable circle in the middle.

HOWARD'S MICROWAVE MEAT LOAF RECIPE

1 - 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp dry mustard
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 med minced onion
1/4 c finely crushed cracker crumbs
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Combine tomato sauce, brown sugar and mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine eggs, onion, cracker crumbs, ground beef, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add 3/4 or the tomato mixture and blend thoroughly. Place into the ring dish. Pour remaining tomato sauce over top of meat.
3. Cook on high (max power) until it reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. Approx 15 to 20 minutes.
4. cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

It was really delicious even though my turntable wasn't working at first. I don't usually 'cook' in the micro just heat and reheat. So as soon as I noticed it I fixed it. You could see where it was already cooked in two spots, but I just let it go and it was okay. This is a good recipe anytime, but especially good for 'on-the-road' meals.

Slab City

Our trip to Salvation Mountain was a by product of our trip to Slab City.

Slab City or The Slabs is a snowbird campsite in the Colorado Desert in southeastern California, used by recreational vehicle owners and squatters from across North America. It takes its name from the concrete slabs that remain from the abandoned World War II Marine barracks of Camp Dunlap.

Several thousand campers, many of them retired, use the site during the winter months. These "snowbirds" stay only for the winter, before migrating north in the spring to cooler climates. The temperatures during the summer are unforgiving nonetheless, there is a group of around 150 permanent residents who live in the Slabs all year round. Some of these "Slabbers" derive their living by way government checks (SSI, Social Security, and Social Security Disability) and have been driven to the Slabs through poverty. Others have moved to The Slabs to learn how to live off the grid and to be left alone. Still others have moved there to stretch their retirement income.

The site is both decommissioned and uncontrolled, and there is no charge for parking. The camp has no electricity, no running water, no sewers nor toilets, and no trash pickup service. Many campers use generators or color panels to generate electricity. Supplies can be purchased in nearby Niland, California, located about four miles to the southwest of Slab City.

We discovered that several people are living nicely in this environment and others are just falling below the lines of livability. The back part was more like a dump and several were observed with no means of water or electricity. The front part you could see the water tanks and solar panels. Interesting and probably a good hide out lol

Sorry for the lack of pictures.

Salvation Mountain

Did a day trip from Yuma to Niland CA to Slab City that has at it's entrance Salvation Mountain. This Mountain is quite an experience.

Salvation Mountain is an art installation covering a hill in the Colorado Desert, north of Calipatria near Slab City and several miles from the Salton Sea. It is in Imperial County, California.

The artwork is made fro adobe, straw, ad thousands of gallons of paint. Salvation mountain was created by local resident Leonard Knight (1931-2014). It encompasses numerous murals and areas painted with Christian sayings and Bible verses.

In 1985 Leonard Knight began his creation. Leonard was a classic lone dreamer, intent on feeding his vision. But he was friendly, welcoming to all who visited. He slept in the Salvation Truck, a decorated vehicle with a house on the back. The truck, like the mountain, is lettered with biblical quotations and a large "REPENT" warning. The sight of Salvation Mountain -- his three story tall, 100-foot wide riot of concrete, adobe and paint -- greeted him each morning.

His philosophy was "Love Jesus and keep it simple".

50 Goals for 2015

50 Goals For 2015

My daughter recently posted her 50 things to accomplish for 2014 here that she did for last year. She posted it at the beginning of the year and then again at the end to see how she did. I've always been a list maker so was thinking maybe I should try this too. Let me tell you it's hard coming up with 50 things. It's even harder to do a blog post after a year of not doing them lol And to top it off I'm using my new Apple computer. So much new stuff - guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.... it's just really really hard.

So without further ado here's the list:

1. knit afghan for Donna
2. finish sweater for myself
3. make one more Barbie wardrobe
4. make 10 prayer shawls for Prayer Shawl ministry
5. Exercise/walk 3 days/week
6. do 50 book challenge
7. purge papers from file cabinet
8. make baby quilts using leftover jelly roll strips
9. make 18" doll cloths while traveling
10. clean basement cupboards
11. clean basement storage room
12. attend church when in town
13. go down 1 size in clothes
14. blog at lease once per month
15. organize photos on computer/phone & store on disc
16. practice patience
17. meditate more
18. eat healthier
19. when home clean house once/week
20. use wii 2x/week when home
21. have closet doors finished and installed in middle bedroom
22. have pot lights put in living room
23. make chocolate molded candies for Easter and Christmas
24. mail Christmas cards in 2015
25. fertilize garden 2x/month
26. visit grandkids at least every other week when home
27. watch grandkids at least 1 weekend so parents can take a break
28. entertain no less than 1/month when home
29. do GRANDKIDS picture frame
30. finish jigsaw puzzle
31. learn to crochet
32. take Spanish class or Spanish for Dummies
33. call Dave & Bud every couple of weeks
34. cook meatless 1/week
35. bake bread or rolls 1/week when home
36. clean pantries
37. make freezer meals from Tastefully Simple ideas
38. make & keep couple of homeless bags in car
39. pray for individual family members daily
40. print off this list so I remember it
41. research writing a Memoir
42. connect with someone I don't see often 1/week
43. take classes on Apple
44. drink at least 32 oz water/day
45. put all garden supplies in one spot in garage
46. read through Bible in a year (again)
47. journal 1/week
48. do purple heart collection
49. clean kitchen cupboards
50. clean bathroom linen closet

Reading through this now I see I will need to do lots of lists or calendars so I can track everything. What have I done to myself? lol Oh well, a challenge is always a good thing. Helps to learn and grow.

By the way, this list is in no order at all! Just mumbled things that came to mind over a few days while searching my mind for 50 things. You think it's simple? Try it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! "Be the change you want to see in the world."

Wintering in the Warmth

I'm just not into this blogging thing this time around. Part of it is not always having an internet connection and the other part is difficulties with uploading pictures from the camera and phone. Frustrations that make it not too much fun.

So, we left my cousins home in Tuscon AZ and travelled to Quartzsite AZ for a huge RV event. The town normally has 300 people and during this week in January it expands to 1,000,000!!! Sounds crazy. This experience was quite a learning experience. My first challenge was staying hydrated. I had trouble sleeping because my sinuses would dry out and I couldn't breathe. After a couple of days I got it figured out and learned to actually enjoy the heat in January lol.

The desert at first glance is all brown and boring, but then you notice the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Being from Michigan I'm used to sunsets off the water - say Lake Michigan. Here on the desert the sun sets behind mountains that are everywhere around you. The colors on the opposing mountains change from second to second. From purples, pinks and oranges.... just beautiful!! I'd love to add pictures, but read paragraph one :) We stayed on the desert in Quartzsite for 19 or 20 days and I was starting to look forward to being hooked up to water. We traveled by motorcycle most days into town and walked around and usually stopped at the market for a couple of items (can only get what we could carry) lol. The main purchase was a chrome exhaust pipe cover that MM put on right away. We got a few do dads for the kitchen as usual, but resisted buying stuff that we wouldn't use after getting it home.

We checked into Lake Havasu RV Resort on January 30 and are here for 14 days. It is a very nice resort (Colorado River Adventures) that has lots of activities and great meals for purchase Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. We've gone into town most days on the motorcycle and walked the London Bridge in town. The bridge was purchased from London England in 1964 and completely reassembled by 1971. You can see the Colorado River from just about anyplace that we travel in town. After being here a few days we traveled on part of the old Route 66 that went from Chicago to Los Angeles and stopped in a town called Oatman AZ. There were wild burros everywhere and walked right up to you. We got a few shirts and a Route 66 sign. On another day we traveled to Parker Dam. Think Hoover Dam but smaller lol. Here too, we stopped to turn around and saw several wild burro. MM whistled and they came up out of the ravine straight to the car. They thought we had food ... what a disappointment for them. On Friday the 7th we went on a boat cruise to Topock Gorge. The boat was very clean and the guides were very informative. We saw a bald eagle, mountain goats and wild burros. Most of the goats were mama and baby and some of them were very young. Hopefully someday I'll be able to figure out the picture thing because we got a lot of good ones lol. The boat also stopped at a spot where there were ancient petroglyphics etched into the stone.

On days that we're not doing anything special we ride into town (on the bike - it's like summer here) and walk on the trail at the Rotary Park. Very nice about .8 miles and has several workout stations where you can do sit ups, pushups and other exercises (did way too many situps on the first day lol). And all of this is along the Colorado River with California on the other side. Always so pretty.

Guess the best and worst part of this whole adventure is being away from the cold and snow lol. The best because we're missing one of the worst winters since record keeping began. The worst because we're missing all of our family so much. I miss seeing the smiling faces of our grandchildren and hearing their sweet voices and laughter. Lots of give and take but we're giving it a try.

Today I finally got out the sewing machine and made a dress for the Dress a Girl Around the World mission.  It was pretty quick and I hope it fits within the guidelines for the size.  It takes a little to get everything out and there is not a lot of room for ironing or cutting.  Not sure if I'll do any more on this trip. It's just easier at home. An easier project on the road is knitting. I did finish a poncho and hat for myself. Again, wish I could post pictures :(.

Hope the next park has internet service at the rig - it is so much easier and I might put in more effort and time with pictures. I still hold out hope of adding pictures to these posts lol. Call me optimistic! So, until next time - see ya

Blake Randal Smith

 

 

 

 

Blake Randal Smith born 2/10/14 8:15 a.m. 7#2oz 19" long Baby and Mama doing well.

Blake brings up the rear (so to speak) we now have 6 grandchildren Margaret (Maggie)(6) Olivia (4) Alexis (3) Jackson (Jack) (2) Lillyanna (Lilly)(1) and Blake. We are very excited about this new addition but are kind of sad that we can't be there until April to see him. Guess it's all about choices and trying to make everyone happy. And of course, we know that you can never make all of the people happy all of the time. So happy for all of the blessings that have been bestowed on us. We are definitely not deserving so I'm sure it is God's AMAZING GRACE!! Thank you.

Made It To Arizona

I can't believe how time is flying. I was going to post every couple of days but then we get busy or don't have electricity or something else comes up. After leaving Ashwood Arkansas we headed to Texas to visit with Bud. We got there just before he got home from work. Donna (Bud's granddaughter through Amanda) met us at the end of the street and walked us in. We would have picked her up if we knew who she was. Dinner was quick and simple because we had the crock pot going all day while we traveled. Good to see Bud, he just doesn't change. Anyway, we did a little shopping Friday and planned on visiting with more family coming out on Saturday. Got a few pictures.

This picture is front left, Ellie and Samantha back row from left Laura, Bud, Matt holding Benjamin.  Matt and Laura have been married for 4 or 5 years but I hadn't met her or her two daughters yet.  Benjamin is 3 here.

 

This is the whole bunch ;)  Dave and Ann seated in front.  Samantha and Ellie are kind of in the front row, next row is Laura, Paula, Bud, me, Roger and the back row is Matt holding Benjamin, Steven Griffith, and Loren (Amanda's son).

 

 

 

We had a real nice visit but still didn't have enough time to totally catch up ...  a reason to come back :)

From Bud's we headed to San Antonio Texas.  Roger had heard of the River Walk there and we wanted to check it out.  I do have pictures, but once again Picasa is giving me problems and I can't waste any more time trying to put them on here arrghhh.  Another day on the road to cross Texas and New Mexico before entering Arizona.  We headed to my cousin, Pat's house on Thursday, Jan 9th.  Got there midday and had a nice visit before resting for the night.  Sandy, another cousin joined us on Friday.  That's us in the picture below.  Pat's Dad Harry and Sandy's Dad John are my Mother's brothers.  I have so many cousins that I've never met.  Maybe this year in our travels we will meet more of them.

 

Roger, me, Pat Higgins and Sandy Clark

Left Pat's on Saturday the 11th and headed to Quartzsite Arizona.  This is kind of where Roger wanted to go for the winter.  I have pictures for here too, but same problem as the River Walk pictures arrgghh.  Quartzsite is a little more organized that I expected.  I thought it was just a huge desert with people everywhere and no amenities.  What it is is almost like a state park.  Where we are camped is land owned by the Bureau of Land Management.  When you turn off the road (I think there are like 4 turnoffs) there is a check in shack where you pay.  It is $40 for 14 days or $180 for Sept 1 to April 1 (I think).  There is a dumping station and several water stations along with refuse recepticles.  I thought there was nothing!  There are areas that have absolutely nothing and are free, but I think where we are is good.  We did drive one of the pathways all the way back one day and it was 5 miles long.  Along that pathway there were several turnoffs that you could drive on and park any place you wanted.  It seems to be filling up more because there is an RV thing going on in town this week.  Lots of vendors, tents and stuff lol.  The other thing that kind of surprised me is that it is mostly gravel... I thought desert was sand.  It is hot and dry and we need to drink more water ... story of my life :).

So there you have it... today is January the 13th, Monday and we're probably going to do a lot of walking around town.  Hopefully the pictures that I wanted to post will magically decide to cooperate and post. 

WELCOME 2014!!!

We actually brought in the New Year on a quiet note. We spent Sunday night in West Memphis Arkansas and headed out on Monday to Texarkana (actually Ashdown) Arkansas. We decided to spend three nights here to get through the New Year holiday and not have to worry about places being open to check in to. Camping is not quite like hoteling it because it's not in season and not as popular. So we are in a quiet park (Millwood Landing) with about 5 other couples. Like I said it's very quiet. There is a 250 acre golf course here and there was a large party here last night. Yesterday we went in to the local WalMart to get a few things and found stuff for the kids as well. That meant coming back to camp and wrapping stuff then back to town to the post office. Hope they like what I sent :). Other than that we've been walking, knitting and watching a little tv. Yesterday it was real sunny and we actually sat out and read for a couple of hours (okay, so I took a nap in the sunshine). Should be the same today, yea!! High 50's.

Before we pulled out of West Memphis we went into Hot Springs to check it out. The Hot Springs were popular as people believed that the traces of minerals and an average temp of 143 degrees gives the water whatever therapeutic properties they may have. The first bathhouse was built in the early 1900's and people flocked to them as they were called "The American Spa". Touring Fordyce Bathhouse was very interesting seeing all of the opulance that only the wealthier people could afford at that time. There were the soaking baths, cooling rooms, exercise rooms and massage rooms. The exercise equipment was made mostly of wood with pullies and belts. We did buy a couple of empty gallons to fill with the hot springs water before leaving town. I didn't see a big difference between our r/o water and the hot springs water, but then I'm not an expert on waters.

I talked with my brother, Bud when we got here and made a plan to drive to his place on Thursday. The gps says it's a 5 hour drive which calculates to be about 7 hours in rv travel time. While there we'll try to catch up with Dave and Ann as well, if they're feeling better. I heard they were coming down with colds, so we'll see. My cousin, Joan, called this morning to wish us a Happy New Year. It was good to hear from her, but the connection was schetchy at best and the call was cut short. So there you have it. Happy New Year to all our family and friends. Hoping 2014 is filled with health, prosperity and happiness!

On The Road Again ... After Way Too Long

So we're headed out west at a very leisurely pace, or so I thought. We planned on leaving Michigan on Christmas morning but then there was snow on the roads and lots of SALT!! So we checked the weather and saw that Friday was our best bet for a 'dry' getaway. Best of intentions - it was still wet and a dusting of snow, but too bad we weren't waiting any longer. We had been packing for the last week or so and only had the motorcycle to do that morning plus the last of the incidentals that had to wait til the day of departure. We were on our way by 10:30 and cringing when we thought of the salt getting on our 'clean' underbody. Oh well, better than sitting in the snow and cold all winter. We traveled US23 to M14 then I94 to I69. Interestingly enough there was a lot less snow already. We set our sites on Effingham IL for our first night thinking that wouldn't be too far. At Indianapolis we had our rude awakening with construction. It was an hour of stop and go before we picked up I70 and over to Effingham IL. We arrived at our first campground, Camp Lakeland about 7:30 p.m. our time or 6:30 IL time. Nice park and very quiet. We were exhausted after 457 miles and ready for a quick dinner and bed... so much for leisurely lol.

Woke up Saturday to another beautiful sunny day. Figuring we might be driving a lot again, we got in a walk before heading out at 10 a.m. At this point we just want to get to a warmer climate. On the way down yesterday it was so sunny that the temp on the dash was 91!! I think the outside temp got up to about 57 and it was beautifully sunny, but it's still questionable when it gets down to the high 30's at night. We picked up I57 south right out of Effingham all the way into Missouri. Just a short time in Missouri picking up I55 to go even deeper into the south lol. Tonight we are in West Memphis Arkansas at the Tom Sawyer's RV Park after driving 324 miles. The drive in was a little scary with steel gates on the front doors, come to find out there was another way in, but we didn't have those directions. We are parked right on the Mississippi River and watching lots of barges moving quickly down the river. We took a few pictures, but of course, I can't get Picasa to work lol. Still couldn't get Picasa to work, but somehow after about an hour of playing around I was able to upload these pictures. They were all taken at the Tom Sawyer Campground in West Memphis Arkansas on the Mississippi River.

Updating Motorhome

Can't believe I haven't blogged since March 2013!! Anyway, we were at an RV Rally this summer in Elkhart IN and, as usual, we went through all of the new coaches seeing things that we'd like in our coach without buying a new one. We really liked that so many of the big spacious coaches have an office area and they are just cleaner looking. Ours is 10 years old now and starting to look a little worn. We are also talking about traveling more now that I too am retired and would like to have a few things that I will be using more often on the road. While talking with a salesman he said they had a 'used' couch in their repair showroom that was similar to the one in the coach we were sitting in. So, the next Monday we traveled over to the showroom to have a look. What they had there was an 'L' shaped sofa arrangement and we could only use the one twin size section to make our little 'office' area. First step was to call the owner to see if he would seperate the two pieces... yes. Next measure, measure, measure to see that it would fit. Yes, so now the trade out.

New sofa:

Old sofa:

 

Above is the new seating area. MM built the cabinet that houses the laptop, printer and sewing machine. I took pictures of the old couch with my phone and I've just spent an hour trying to get it uploaded... unsuccessful :(. Anyway, you can see how clean this area is now. The loveseat sized sofa folds out and has an air mattress for a comfortable sleeping area. The old sofa picture isn't the one I wanted to use, but was somehow able to upload it... (shaking head). Trust me, the new lighter sofa is so much brighter and cleaner looking and to have a space for my sewing machine and printer is wonderful. By the way, the new sofa is from a 2012 Thor, which is a high end coach. In the second picture you can see the back of the dinette seat and that is the fabric that was on the original couch.

Fertilize Friday 3/8/13

Our wonderful host Tootsie who I haven't checked out yet today. She always has gorgeous pictures and wonderful hints for gardners. There are a lot of other gardeners linking up so check them all out.



It's not Spring here yet so there's nothing going on in any outside gardens. Last Fall I brought in a few plants from the front porch and they've all survived. Okay so I use the word "survived" loosely. When I put them outside again they will bounce right back.

We're lucky enough to have a spare bathroom that we don't use the tub in very often so that's where the plants hang out. Convenient huh? This lime plant is going into it's third year that I've had it. I got it as a small sprig from a catalog store.




It doubled in size last summer so I'm looking forward to seeing the growth this year. I gave one to my Daughter when I got them and her's actually got a lime on it the first year. I wasn't that lucky, but maybe this year. Hope I don't have the one that won't produce.

Below are the three plants that have taken up residence in the bathtub. There's a philodendron, spider and ivy. As you can see photography isn't my strong suite, but I'm working on that. The philodendron does the best, the spider tips start browning and the ivy just plain old thins out and looks sickly. The good thing is that they all bounce right back when they go outside.




While traveling last summer we went to an art fair and I bought this interesting African Violet planter. The pot that the dirt and plant go into fits into another pot that will hold water and continue to feed the African Violet. Very interesting pot. I fell in love immediately. Now if I can only get the plant to bloom beautifully.



The lady I bought the planter from gave me a leave from her plant and I bought a plant from a local big box store. See the new growth? Yes, that's coming from the leave that I got from the potter.



Here's a picture of the planter.



And finally the seperation of the two pots. I'm really hoping for a plant like I had several years ago. I had one on my desk at the office and it bloomed profusely all year round. I can do this lol Yeah, right.



Anyway, that's my offering for this week. Really looking forward to Spring and Summer this year. With retirement in my future I'll have lots of time that I never had before. No more squeezing in an hour here and a half hour there.... I can garden to my little hearts content. How about you? What kind of greenery is in your life right now?