Dave and Dee Dee's Annual Fish Fry and A Visit With Donna

DeBary, FL.

62 deg. clear, no wind

Forecast today = A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 83F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

Well, another month has gone by and I really didn't have anything to post about.

Quite a few people have been asking me why I haven't posted, but I can't imagine any of you wanting to read about Lina and I going to the grocery store or even going to a restaurant once in awhile. In fact, this past whole month has been just day-to-day living.

Now, this month started out with a few things to post about!!!

Dave and Dee Dee decided to have their annual "Fish Fry" on Sunday, the 4th of February, but that got changed to Saturday the 3rd because of a weather forecast of anywhere from 50 to 80% chance of rain, depending on which "weather guesser" you watched.

Once the date for the Fish Fry was set, Linda called Donna, (a long time RVing friend), who lives in Wildwood to see if she would be home on Sunday. You see, the plan was to go to Thonotosassa for the "Fish Fry" which was to take place at 3:00 pm on Saturday, stay overnight someplace Saturday night and then go see Donna on Sunday, getting back home late afternoon.

Donna said that she'd be home and would love for us to come for a visit, so then, I called a Hotel in Brooksville and made reservations for Saturday night.

As you can see in these 2 photos, they had very good turn-out for the Fish Fry

Everyone brought food, so there were lots of other things to eat with the great fish that they fried. ;-)

After a great meal and a lot of catching up with old acquaintances, we left Dave and Dee Dee's and headed North on (Ugh) I-75. Actually 75 was not near as bad as (Ugh), I-4 through Orlando with all It's construction through the city.

It didn't take us too long to get to Brooksville where we stopped at a Microtel. It was pretty nice, but the people at the desk weren't too friendly and about 10:00 pm a wedding party came back from a reception somewhere and continued partying in the hotel until about midnight!! :-(

It was quiet for the rest of the night though and after a pretty good night's sleep, we left Brooksville and headed a little further North to Wildwood where we stopped at the Russel Stover Candy factory store, on Rt. 44. After Linda bought a bunch of sugar free candy we went to a Waffle House for lunch, before heading to Donna's house.

Donna seems to be doing well, but I'm sure she misses Monte. We had a very nice visit and talked for a couple hours before heading back here to  DeBary on Rt's 44, 441 and 46.

While we were at Donna's it started to rain and we had heavy to moderate rain all the way home.

Monday evening, Ashley called and said that she and Chris would like to come over for awhile if we weren't busy.  In about 1/2 hour they arrived, and gave us the news that they would be getting married on the 18th of March!!!!! :-)  They've been engaged for quite awhile now, so we were kind of expecting them to set a date pretty soon. 

They're planning a very small wedding with just brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents attending.

Well, that's about it for now. I'll post again when I have something interesting to post about.

Did you know that There are 20,275  people in the U.S. listed on whitepages.com with the last name 'Fish'?

We miss you Blaine!!!

Bye!!!

Florida To Illinois

Champaign, IL

68 deg. Overcast, no wind.

Forecast tonight = Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.


By the time Jim and Linda got all of the remaining things packed into Lily, most of the electric in the house shut off, and the water turned off, we pulled out of the car port at home about 10:45 AM on Sunday, 7-31-17. We really weren't in much of a hurry as the Motel that Jim had called, had a 3:00 Check-in time and Jim figured out that it would be about a 4 hour drive up to Monticello, FL. where it was located.

The route we took was US 17 up to Barberville, Rt. 40 over to near Ocala, Rt. 326 around the north side of Ocala and over to US 27A which took us to Chiefland and then US 19 up to  Monticello.

We hit some heavy rain on the  way, but by the time, (3:45, and 221 miles), we arrived at the Econo Lodge, it had cleared up nicely.

The Motel was very nice. It had a medium sized room with a bath, a king bed and a small refrigerator to put food, out of our cooler, into.

Jim seemed to do pretty well driving up there, but by the time he and Linda brought all the necessary items into the room, he was pretty tired.

But, after a good night's sleep, Jim was ready to go again in the morning, and after loading up the car, we left the motel at about 10;35 and headed further North, on US 19 first up into Georgia and to Albainy, Then, US 82 up to Columbus, and then I-185 and US 80 around Columbus and into Alabama. and then US 280 over to Opelike, AL.

After stopping for gas in Georgia, and a Cracker Barrel for lunch, near Columbus, it was right at 2:10, central time, when we pulled up in front of another Econo Lodge. So it had taken us about 4 hours and 35 minutes to travel the 208 miles over there.

This Econo lodge wasn't so nice. Jim had trouble with the door lock up arrival and the inside of the room wasn't very well maintained. It was clean though and it had a small fridge like the first one, so we stayed overnight, being sure to deadbolt the door.

Tuesday, Jim and Linda decided to do a short day, so we left about 9:35 and only drove up to Albertville on US 431, stopping again for gas, which brought us to the King's Inn after 148 miles and at about 12:45 in the afternoon.

A nice short 3 hour and 10 minuted drive. ;-)

The King's Inn was very nice. A nice big clean room with a King bed and a nice big bathroom. After we were settled in, and Jim took a nap, he and Linda headed over to a Shoney's Restaurant for a nice  dinner.

Wednesday morning, we left Albertville right at 10:00 and continued Northwest on 431, taking it up to Huntsville where we turned North on US 231. 231 took us up into Tennessee and to Murfreesboro, where we turned NW on I-24 and then North on I-840 and I-40 East back to 231 to miss city traffic and small roads. Once back on 231, we followed it up into Kentucky and to Scottsville where we pulled into a Executive Inn just outside of town.

It was 3:10 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us 5 hours and 10 minutes to travel the 198 miles up there and that included a very severe rain storm near Murfreesboro, where we were driving as slow as 30mph on I-24!!!

The Executive Inn was very nice. a large room, spotlessly clean and very friendly people in the office.

Thursday morning we left Scottsville about 10:25 and followed US 231 up to near Bowling Green, where we turned off on the William H. Natcher Parkway which took us up to Owensboro and across the Ohio River on Rt 161 into Indiana. When we came to the little town of Reo, we turned West on Indiana Rt. 66 and took it over to the I-164 belt route that goes around the East side of Evansville, IN. 164 took us up to I- 64 which took us West over to US 41.

Just south of 64 on 41 we went to a and Amish Restaurant where Jim and Linda had great Buffet. Then we crossed 41 and checked into the Super 8 Motel. It was 3:10 by the time we arrived, so it took us about 3 hours and 45 minutes to travel 145 miles and have dinner.

The Super 8 was very nice but at that Motel, you have to go in through the front entrance and then down the hall to your room. Luckily the room wasn't very far down the long hall so that Jim and Linda didn't have to carry their luggage too far.

As far as the room goes, it was also very nice with a king bed and a large room.

Friday morning, just before 11:00 we left the Super 8 and headed North on US 41. Following 41 up to Vincennes where we turned West on US 50. 50 took us to IL Rt 1 that we took North for a ways and then took some side roads over to Rt. 49. 49 took us up to I-74 where we turned West again and followed it to the Urbana Gardens Restaurant, where Jim and Linda had coffee and pie.

From there, it was just a short drive over here to the Woodsprings Suites Hotel, where we'll spend about a month.

 It was 3:10 when we pulled up to the main entrance, so it took us about 3 hours and 10 minutes to travel 176 miles and stop for coffee and pie.

So,  ,  ,  ,  we traveled 1097 miles to get here in 6 days.

All in all, it was a very good trip. Jim is real happy with Lily and really likes the way she drives. She gets great gas mileage, (over 30mpg on each tank of gas), and hasn't given even the least bit of trouble.

This Blog post is way too long already, so I'll tell you more about Woodsprings in my next post.

Did you know that there is an old law in Indiana that states that "Hotel sheets must be exactly 99 inches long and 81 inches wide"?


Woof!!!

Yeee!!!! Haww!!!!

DeBary, FL.

73 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast today = Cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High near 95F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Jim was still having the side effects from the Opdivo treatments when he went in to see the chemo doctor on the 7th of July, so he didn't get another treatment. The doctor did decided to raise the dose of the medicine that he was receiving to counter-act the side effects and since then, that has done the trick. ::-) 

Last Thursday, (the 13th),Jim had another PET Scan and then this Monday, (the 17th), he and Linda went to see the Radiation Doctor to get the results. Again, the weekend was stress filled, waiting to get the results, but it seems like that's just part of this whole process. 

So,  ,  ,  ,  , , what did the doctor say??? 

Well, it's all good news!!!!! The spot in the left lung has dissipated and there''s just a little "fogginess" which he thinks is just some scar tissue from previous and latest radiation treatments. and the very small spot in the right lung has all but disappeared. There is just a minute spot that may or may not be something, but at this time he doesn't recommend any treatments. The PET Scan was for Jim's whole body and there is no indication of any spreading of the cancer!!!!

Yeee!!!!! Haww!!!!

Tuesday, Jim had an appointment with the Chemo doctor and after seeing the PET Scan results, she agreed with what the Radiation Doctor had said!!!!

Yeee!!!! Haww!!!!  (Sorry about all the "Yee Hawing", but I couldn't help myself) ;-) 

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  What comes next???  Well, Jim and Linda have already started to make plans to head up to Illinois. Jim has made some reservations at an "extended stay hotel" near Rantoul, and Linda has already set up doctor's appointments with most of the doctors that will need to be seen up there. Jim had already made a "trip plan" that he refined yesterday and it looks like we'll be leaving here on or about the 31st if July!!!!     

Traveling by car instead of RV is going to be a big change, but both Jim and Linda seem to have pretty much figured out what they can and can not take along. The extended stay hotel has a refrigerator, microwave and a 2 burner stove, so once we get up there, Linda will be able to make some meals. She has an electric skillet that she'll take along and can make quite a bit in it, even while we're traveling, and I'm sure, some meals they'll eat out at restaurants. 

Jim doesn't know how much energy he'll have, so he's figured 5 days to get up to Illinois, (about 4 hours a day, traveling). The little trip to Cedar Key helped them get an idea of how to pack the car to get everything in, and staying in that motel helped with learning to cook some food in just a microwave. 

Years ago, Jim and Linda went on "vacations" and managed OK, so it's just a matter of relearning the process. I;m sure that there'll be a few "bumps" but they'll deal with them and I'm sure it'll all work out in the end. 

I can't wait ot get on the road again!!!!!

Yeee!!!! Haww!!!!

Did you know that on this date in 1969 - Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. became the first men to walk on the moon?


Woof!!!!

Long Overdue Update

DeBary, FL.

95 deg. Mostly cloudy, SE Wind @ 3 mph.

Forecast = Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.


Sorry about the length of time that has gone by since I've last updated this blog. :-(

Mike, Gina and the kids did stop by on their way down to the attractions, and in fact, they stopped by on the way back also!! Jim and Linda had good visits with them even though they only stayed for a couple of hours each time.

Jim's last Opdivo treatment was to be on the 23rd of June, but because of some digestive side effects from the treatments, the last treatment still hasn't happened!!! :-(  First of all it was rescheduled for the 30th of June and now it's been rescheduled for the 7th of July. Hopefully, the side effect will have disappeared by then so he can get that last treatment.

He does have a PET Scan scheduled for the 13th of July and a visit with the radiation Dr. (Dr. Graham), on the 14th. Hopefully that will not have to be rescheduled.

On the 26th of June, Jim and Linda took Lily and headed over to Cedar Key, FL. where they rented a motel room for 3 nights. The motel was located right on the gulf and they had an excellent view of the Gulf of Mexico from their 2nd story balcony.

They even had a real pretty sunset one night while they were there. ;-) 

It was a good get-a-way for a change. They really hadn't been anywhere since they returned here to DeBary last fall. 

They went out to eat a a couple local restaurants and had seafood, (it's the big thing in Cedar Key). Drove around the island some and basically just "kicked back" for the 3 days they were there. It was about 135 miles over there and it took them just under 3 hours to travel the distance. 

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , for now, we wait and see what is going to happen with Jim's treatments. The plan is still to try to get up to Illinois yet this summer, (or fall), to see doctors, friends and relatives, but as usual, all Jim's plans are in pencil. 

Jim's feeling pretty well, except for the digestive issues, and Linda is doing well. If we can just get past this bump in the road, we'll be on our way North and possibly up to NC and VA to see the boys yet this year. 

Did you know that 7% of Americans believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows?

Mooooo!!!! (I meant Woof!!!!) 

A Little "Road Trip", Some Sad News but A Very Nice Visit

DeBary, FL.

80 deg. partly cloudy, SW wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast tonight = Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.


Tuesday, Jim had his last Radiation Treatment. He's very happy to have them over with. Going in every weekday was really the worst part of it. 

Tuesday was also the day that Jim suggested that he and Linda go on a "Road Trip" and take Lily and head over to Wildwood, FL to go to the Russel Stover's Candy Co. Store and stop and see Donna and Monte, (Rving friends since way back in 2001). 

So, Jim called Donna and asked if they'd be home on Wednesday? Well, then came the surprise. Donna told Jim that Monte had passed away!!!!!! :-(  Yep, you read that right!!! Donna told Jim that Monte had passed away last November the 20th!!!! 

Donna apologized for not letting Jim and Linda know, but she's been very busy trying to get everything straightened up since his passing. Well, Jim told her that they'd still like to come to see her for a few hours in the afternoon, if that would be alright. 

She said it would and that she'd really like to see them. 

So,  ,  ,  ,  , about 10:30 Wednesday morning, Jim and Linda took Lily and drove the close to 60 miles over to Wildwood. First they went to Stovers and then went out to eat at a Wendy's Restaurant. After that, (about 1:00 by this time), they headed over to see Donna. Parts of this visit were very sad as Donna told about Monte, but other parts of the visit were very nice and I'm sure Jim and Linda will be going back to see Donna again. 

It was late afternoon by the time they returned here to the house and by the time they came into the house, Jim was pretty beat! For supper, they just had sandwiches and then Jim took a nap. 

Both Jim and Linda said that Donna seemed to be doing pretty well.  She's strong and has a good attitude about the future.

Oh, and by the way, Lily did very well and provided a very comfortable ride for both Jim and Linda. ;-)  

Now, Jim and Linda are starting to get ready for a visit from Mike and his family, this coming Saturday!! They will be heading down to the "attractions area" for a 1 week vacation and are planning on stopping by both on the way down and the way back to North Carolina.

I sure hope they'll be able to stop for a few hours, It seems like ages since we've last seen them.


A Quote to Ponder : "The Language of friendship is not words but meanings."

                                   Henry David Thoreau


Woof!!!

Treatments and She's Gone

DeBary, FL.

69 deg. clear no wind.

Forecast = Mainly sunny. High 89F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph.


Jim started his Opdivo treatments Friday and so far, the side effects have not been too bad. He's been having some aching in his legs, a slight headache at times and some fatigue which may be from the radiation or the Opdivo. (Probably both)

He's half way through his radiation treatments now. and the last one will be the day after Memorial Day.

Laura and Lindsey have been meeting Jim and Linda out at the CG where Nora was parked to help clean her out. It's amazing how much "stuff" you can accumulate in such a small space! :-)  Then, on Saturday, Jim and Linda took Big RED out to the CG, hooked Nora up to the back of him and took her all the way down to Palm Beach where Lindsey and Laura had made a deal on a brand new 19' travel trailer. It was about 185 miles down there, so it ended up being a long day of driving for Jim.

Even though Jim and Linda just dropped Nora off at Palm Beach and then came right back, it took them about 7 hours which included a stop for "brunch" at a Bob Evans Restaurant on the way back.

So,  ,  ,  ,  , for the first time in almost 30 years, Jim and Linda don't have an RV. How do they feel about that, You ask???? Well there's mixed emotions. It was hard to drive away from that dealer's lot, down in Palm Beach, but in a way, it felt good to not have to worry about Nora sitting at the CG for months at a time without anyone really looking after her.

But, it was time. Neither Jim or Linda can see the time when we'll be traveling near as much as we have, even in the past few years, so having an RV for such limited travel just didn't make sense. Jim figures that the money saved by not having to pay CG fees, insurance and license fees alone, will more than make up for the Motel/Hotel fees we'll have to pay for our limited travels.

What are our plans for this summer? Well, they're all on hold for now. When Jim's done with his treatments, (sometime in July), and he has a scan, we'll find out what travel plans can be made. Jim and Linda would really like to get up to Illinois to see doctors, family and friends and they really would like to get up to N. Carolina and Virginia to see Mike and Joe and their families, but only time will tell if that's going to be possible.

A Quote to Ponder;  Dream the impossible dream, Fight the unbeatable foe, Strive with your last ounce of courage, to reach the unreachable star.
Joe Darion

Woof!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

DeBary, FL

57 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 83F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.


Hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

Not much has been happening around here lately, except getting ready for Christmas. Of course, that means getting presents, wrapping them and getting the ones for out of town shipped off.  Well, all of that has happened and now we're just waiting for the big day!! ;-)

Laura and Ashley came over one day and helped put up the Christmas tree and other decorations, so now the tree is decorated and there's presents under it, just waiting to be opened.

While they were here, Laura found a piece of wrapping ribbon and tied it around my neck. Don't I look festive???

Tomorrow, Christmas morning, Laura, Lindsey, Ashley, Chris and Anna will be coming over here to open presents. There will also be a breakfast, so Linda is putting out some goodies and Laura and the girls will also be bringing something to contribute.

It should be a fun day!!!

Both Jim and Linda are doing fine and I hope all of you are well also. Please be careful if traveling during the holidays.

Did you know that the world's tallest Xmas tree at 221ft high was erected in a Washington shopping mall in 1950?

Woof!!!

A Great Thanksgiving

DeBary, FL.

73 deg. mostly cloudy, NE wind @ 9 mph.

Forecast = This afternoon = Mainly cloudy. Lows overnight in the mid 50s.


I hope all of you had a happy Thanksgiving, I know Jim and Linda did. :-) Thursday morning they headed over to Marv and Inez's, (Lindsey's Parents),  house up in DeLand. It's only about 20 to 30 minutes to get there, (depending on traffic), so they left here about 10:30.

As usual, Inez had a great dinner with all the "fixin's". That means turkey, dressing, vegetables, cranberries, mashed potatoes, gravy, and lots of deserts. And, Laura's husband, Lindsey brought a big ham to supplement the turkey!!!!

Of Course Marv and Inez were there, Laura and Lindsey, Ashley and Cris, Anna, and 2 of Lindsey's brothers and their families. Again, it was a full house, but everyone had plenty to eat and a very good time, visiting. Laura had to work at the hospital Thanksgiving night, so she left soon after the meal to get some sleep before going to work and Jim and Linda stayed until around 2:30.  

Both Jim and Linda were still "stuffed" when they returned here to the house, so they just had ham sandwiches for their evening meal, (thanks to Inez for sending some of the leftover ham home with them), and then just watched TV for the rest of the evening.

I've said this before, but I want to say it again. Jim and Linda really appreciate Marv and Inez including them with their family celebration. It really means a lot and they both want to thank Marv and Inez for their generous hospitality.

Don't really have much else to report. Mostly just day to day living.

Again, I hope all of you had a very nice Thanksgiving.

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln issued a  "Thanksgiving Proclamation" on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving? Whereas earlier the presidents used to make an annual proclamation to specify the day when Thanksgiving was to be held.


Woof!!!

A Nice Labor Day Weekend and Gatting Ready For Company

Rantoul, IL.

74 deg. clear, SW wind @ 7 mph.

Forecast = Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High 93F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight, partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low around 75F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

As many of you may know, Labor Day is one of my favorite holidays because after it, the kids are back in school, many RVers put their RVs in storage for the winter and most people have taken their vacations and settled down somewhere for the winter. That means fewer cars and RVs on the road and less crowded campgrounds for the most part. :-)

Also, the weather will start cooling down and if you plan your travels right, there's a very good chance that you'll have some beautiful fall travel weather.

The CG here at Rantoul wasn't completely full for the Holiday this year, but most of the good sites were taken. Also, it seemed like there weren't as many kids here this year. Either that, or they just weren't as noisy as in years past. Can't really say that about the dogs that the RVers brought along though. They were very annoying at times. :-(

Louise and Paul, (the CG hosts), had a cookout Saturday afternoon. They furnished the brats, baked beans and potato salad and everyone else brought food to share. By the time everyone brought something, (about 30 people came to the cookout), there were 2 picnic tables full of food. If anyone went away hungry, it was their own fault!! ;-)   

Jim and Linda went grocery shopping yesterday. There weren't too many people shopping the day after Labor Day, so it wasn't crowded at all. Again, they bought too many groceries and had trouble getting everything into the refrigerator and cabinets.

Tomorrow, Dave, (I don't know if Dee Dee will be coming tomorrow or not), will be coming here to Prairie Pines. He'll probably be getting here somewhere around noon. I hope the weather co-operates and the rain holds off so he can get his trailer set up without getting soaked.

Friday morning, Dave has a dental appointment to get a broken tooth taken care of. Jim will be taking him to his appointment because Dee Dee will be busy and he needs someone to drive him back here as he will receive a sedative for the procedure.

The weather for the Labor Day weekend was really nice, but is has been quite hot the last few days. This weekend, it's supposed to cool off again though, and we should have decent weather for the last half of the weekend and into the first part of next week.

Today and tomorrow morning, Jim and Linda will be getting ready for Dave and Dee Dee's arrival and for Jeff and Heather's arrival on Monday. I'm getting all excited about all that company coming and can hardly wait to see them!!!! :-)

Did you  know that on this date in 1930 - The cartoon "Blondie" made its first appearance in the comic strips?

Woof!!!!

 

Back At The Campground Again

DeBary, FL.

94 deg. humidity 59% NW wind @ 3 mph.

Forecast tonight = A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. A few clouds. Low around 70F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.

Forecast tomorrow = Partly cloudy in the morning followed by scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High near 95F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.



We're back out at the campground again, only this time it isn't just for a weekend. This time we're getting ready to hit the road and head for Illinois!!!!!

This last week has been very busy. Tuesday, Linda had an appointment with Dr. Saferali and everything went very well. In fact, since Jim was along, there were also talks about Jim's health and what the doctor wanted him to do.

She definitely wants Jim to get a CT Scan while we're up in Illinois but really doesn't expect anything to show up. She just wants to be sure and really, it's probably the best for Jim.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ever since then, Jim and Linda have been gathering things up, bringing them out here to Nora and getting it all packed away in it's proper place. This has taken awhile since the temperatures every day have been in the mid to upper 90's and the humidity had been very high to boot!! :-(

But, they've made it and today they closed down the house for the summer. We could actually leave here tomorrow, but tomorrow is Laura's birthday and Jim and Linda are invited to a Taco dinner at Marv and Inez's house in the evening. And, because usually we're not here to celebrate Laura's birthday both Linda and Jim decided that the originally proposed departure date of the 13th would work out just fine.

So, that's the plan. Unless something unforeseen happens, we'll leave here Monday morning and start working our way North. The weather reports along the way don't sound very good and we may run into a lot of rain on the way. Hopefully not, cause Jim doesn't really like to drive in heavy rain, and it will just put more stress on our travels, not to mention setting up in the evenings and getting going in the mornings in the rain.

We're not in a big hurry though, so if the weather is too nasty, we'll just stay at whatever CG we're in for another day. :-)

Did you know that close to two billion Birthday Cards are sent each year in the U.S. alone, accounting for nearly 58 percent of all cards sent?


Woof!!!

Some Good News

DeBary, FL.

77 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast =Saturday Night 04/23

A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 62F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday 04/24  Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 86F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph.

This past week has not been the best for Jim, but then I think it was better than the week before it. You see, he's still had a lot of bone and muscle ache and it's been especially bad at night, making for some very unrestful sleep periods. His appetite hasn't been too bad, but much of the food he's eaten didn't taste right and some of it, really tasted bad to him. And, he also still has a lot of fatigue, making it hard to do just about anything.  :-(

Yesterday morning, it was time to go back to Dr. Saferali.s office and get another blood test to see how the counts were doing. The test went off without a hitch and when Brittney, (the lab tech), looked at the results, she said, "Wow!!! Your test results look really good!!!"  :-)

Yep!! Almost all of the counts are right in the "normal" range, and those that are not, are just barely outside the normal range!!!!

Tuesday, Jim has his PET Scan and then Wednesday he and Linda will go to see Dr. Graham to get the results. I hope they're good results.


Did you know that all rose species have 5 petals, except for the Rosa Sericea, which has 4 petals?

Woof!!!

More Doctors, Jim Has A Problem and Plans For Christmas Eve

DeBary, Fl.

73 deg., 93% humidity, overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy. High around 85F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.

The weather around here has been very strange this year. We've had temperatures way above normal and the weather guesser are saying that we may set a new record high on Christmas day!!


I have some news on the health front. Friday, Jim and Linda went to see Dr. Saferali, the oncologist. She checked Jim over and looked at the blood test that Jim received a week or so ago. Most everything looked good on it. Then she suggested a PET Scan to get a better view of the "small mass" that the x-rays and CAT scan had found.

Jim now has an appointment for the scan on the 29th of December with a follow up visit with Dr. Saferali on the morning of the 31st.

Saturday, Jim started having some breathing problems and on Sunday they were much worse. Any time he would try to do anything but sit or lie down, he was very short of breath. Jim suspected that the inhaler medication that Dr. Mathura had given him, on Monday, was causing the problem, so he quit using it and just used the emergency inhaler that the doctor had originally prescribed for him on Jim's first appointment.

Monday, Jim called the doctor's office and an appointment was made for yesterday morning. By yesterday morning, Jim was doing a little better and he and Linda headed over to the office.

It appears as though Jim was right as Dr. Mathura changed the type of inhaler and now this morning, Jim seems to be doing quite a bit better, after just a single use of the inhaler, yesterday.

On Sunday, Lindsey's parents, (Marv and Inez) had their Christmas dinner, but being that Jim was having the breathing problem and feeling so crummy, he and Linda didn't go. :-(

So,  ,  ,  ,  unless things change, the plan right now is for Laura, Lindsey, Ashley, Chris and Anna to come over here to the house on Christmas Eve to exchange presents. Linda has been gathering a bunch of  "snack food"  for everyone to enjoy. It should be a fun evening with family. :-)

Christmas day, I really don't know what's going on yet. I'm sure I'll find out sometime today.

I probably won't be posting until after Christmas, so Jim, Linda and I would like to wish all of you a very Marry Christmas. Hope all of you have a great day!!!!!


Did you know that  HANGING stockings out comes from the Dutch custom of leaving shoes packed with food for St Nicholas's donkeys. He would leave small gifts in return.

Woof!!! 

GA To FL and Back Home To DeBary

DeBary, FL

 60 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. High 78F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph.


We left the Parkwood  RV Park in Statesboro, GA about 9:45 Thursday morning and headed South, down into Florida on US 301. The roads were good and by 12:30 we sitting in front of the office at Kelly's Countryside RV park which is just North of Callahan, FL. We had traveled  142 miles and it took us right at 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Our main reason for staying here was so that Jim and Linda could meet grand daughters, Ashley and Anna, (and Ashley's friend, Chris), for dinner at the Cedar River Seafood Restaurant in Callahan for dinner.

Phone calls were made, plans were made and by 6:30 pm, they were all enjoying nice meals and lots of good conversation. ;-)

Friday morning, we left Kelly's at 9:25 and continued Southeast on US 23 down to I-295, which took us around the West side of Jacksonville. When we got down to the South side of the city, we turned South on US 17 and brought it all the way down to Orange City, where we turned off of 17 on local roads and took them to the Paradise Lakes Travel Trailer Park in Deltona, FL.

It was 12;35 when we pulled into the park and we had traveled  154 miles in 3 hours and 10 minutes.

Once Nora was parked, leveled and hooked up to the electric, Linda called Laura and Lindsey to tell them we were on our way over to the double wide house. We met them there and they helped un-pack Big RED and then followed us back to the RV Park, where Laura, Lindsey, Linda and Jim, (and Anna who had driven down to DeBary for the weekend), started unloading most of the "stuff" out of Nora and packing it into Big RED and Laura's car.

By about 5:00 most everything had been brought into  the house and a pizza was ordered. After eating, Laura, Lindsey and Anna headed home and Jim and Linda just kind of collapsed after a long day.

Yesterday was spent putting things away and resting. Jim took a long nap in the afternoon and Linda worked on some of her "Family Tree" stuff to relax. Today Jim and Linda need to go back to the RV Park to get some more "stuff" out of Nora. There's not a real lot over there that they'll be bringing back here to the house, but some of it is important for daily use.

All in all, we had a very good trip this summer. If I get a chance, I'm going to figure out how many miles we traveled and some other statistics and post them here. I don't know when that will be though as from now on, there won't be a whole lot to post about as we all go about our daily lives, living in a house.

Did you know that today is "National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day"?


Woof!!!!

The "Illinois Bunch" visit

Rantoul, IL.

61 deg. overcast, NW wind @ 18 mph.

Forecast =  Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. High 72F. Winds N at 15 to 25 mph.


If I remember right, the Illinois Bunch arrived a little after noon on Tuesday. Denny and Bev were right next to us and Dave and Dee Dee were 2 sites further down on the same side of the street.

Dave brought a bunch of firewood from home and Jim had some firewood that a camper had given him earlier this summer, so they had a campfire every evening.

One night they had a cook-out where everyone roasted hot dogs or Brats over the campfire. They also brought side dishes and deserts to share.

Jim didn't get a good photo of Denny and Bev, so I found this one from a couple years ago.

This one of Dee Dee and Dave is current.

Friday morning, Linda had another eye doctor appointment, but it was an early appointment and so she and Jim were able to return here to the CG to give Denny and Bev and Dave and Dee Dee hugs and handshakes before they left to head to their homes.

It sure was good to see everyone again. I think everyone had a good time visiting and catching up on what's been happening lately. The weather was good for the most part and the only rain we had was early Friday morning, and that was before most everyone even got up. :-)

The eye doctor appointment that Linda had on Friday was her last appointment here in Illinois. The next time she'll have to go in will be after we return to Florida. Jim as an eye doctor appointment on Tuesday for a "field of vision test", and then all the doctor's appointments should be over for awhile. :-)

Did you know that on this date in 1957 - The U.S. conducted its first underground nuclear test. The test took place in the Nevada desert?

Woof!!!

Catching Up

Baraboo, WI.

70 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High around 90F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.


First of all, let me explain why I haven’t posted for awhile.  When we got up to Warrens, WI for the reunion, Jim and Linda found out that although they did have a weak AT&T cell phone signal, there was no data signal for their Hot Spot. So, posting was pretty much out of the question. So, I decided to write the blog on a word processor and then paste it to Blogspot when we had a signal again. That way, I wouldn't have to try to remember all that happened for the 4 days that we were up there.

8-27-2015 Warrens, WI.
We left the Fox Hill CG near Baraboo, WI. About 11:40 Thursday morning and headed North on US 12 until we came to I-90 / 94. We then followed 90/94 NW to Toma, WI., where 90 split off and headed to La Crosse. We stayed on 94 and followed it for about another 12 miles up to Warrens and the Jellystone RV Park.

It was 12:50 when we pulled up in front of the office, so it took us an hour and10 minutes to travel the 63 miles up here.

I-90/94 wasn’t as rough on this section as it had been down near Madison, so the ride wasn’t too bad and everything seemed to stay pretty much in place inside of Nora.

This Jellystone Park is a huge place with hundreds of sites covering everything from very long pull-throughs for Big Rigs to tent camping sites. Some of the sites are paved or gravel and some are on grass. Ours is on grass.

When Jim went into the office, and because he had called and made a reservation, they had everything in an envelope with his name on it. After asking him a few things, telling him about the park regulations and showing him how to get to our site on the map that they gave him, we were on our way to our site.

Our site, K-12, turned out to be a site off of a very narrow 1 lane, 1 way, blacktop road and our site was on the right side of the road. As you RVers who are reading this know, that means backing into the site from the right or “blind side”. To top it off, there were posts with site numbers right alongside of the road on both sides and a tree and fire pit that Jim had to back around of, in our site.
Linda helped guide Jim in and watched so he didn’t bash anything, Jim got out and looked 4 or 5 times to see how things were going, discussed how he wanted to position Nora and after about 5 or 10 minutes of jockeying around, we finally made it.  Whew!!!!!

About 4:00, Big RED took Jim and Linda over to the 3 Bears Lodge area and to the "Villa" that Linda's brother, Glenn had rented for their 4 day stay. The "Villa" was built like a  log home and this one had a fully equipped kitchen, a large living room area and 5 bedrooms to accommodate Glenn and Jeanette's son Ed and grandson Thomas, their daughter Mary and husband, Jeff and grand children Addy, Beckette, Charlotte and Callum.

After H and H, (hugs and handshakes), they ordered some pizzas for dinner and then visited for the rest of the evening.

There really isn't much to post about for the next few days as they were mainly spent visiting and eating meals that the different families put together each evening. From what I can determine, everyone had a great time visiting and catching up on what has been happening for the last couple years. The "kids" spent quite a bit of time over at the water park at the 3 Bears Lodge and one day Mary and Jeff took their 4 kids down to the Wisconsin Dells to do some shopping.

Yesterday morning, after more h and h, everyone said their good-bye's and headed for home. Jim and Linda came back to the CG, hooked up Nora to the back of Big RED and by about 11:15 we were pulling out of the Jellystone Park and heading South on I-94, retracing our route back here to the Fox Hill CG near Baraboo.

It was about 12:20 when we got here, traveling the 63 miles in about an hour and 5 minutes.

We're only staying here for the 1 night and Jim didn't even un-hook Nora from the back of Big RED. Today the plan is to head back down to Utica and stay at the Hickory Hollow CG again. Then, tomorrow, head back down to Rantoul, getting there before the Labor Day Holiday Traffic begins.

  Did you know that on this date in 1878 - Emma M. Nutt became the first female telephone operator in the U.S? The company was the Telephone Dispatch Company of Boston.

Woof!!!

A Shopping Day and CG Photos

Baraboo, WI.

54 deg. clear, N. wind @ 4 mph.

Forecast = Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High around 80F. Winds light and variable.


Yesterday, Jim and Linda took Big RED and headed towards Baraboo. Just before they came to the town, they stopped at Mark's Produce, which is a little roadside stand that has been there for years. Mark and his wife raise almost all the produce locally and every time Jim and Linda have been in this area, they've stopped and purchased some of the very fresh produce that he and his wife sell.

After leaving Mark's, they headed back this way and stopped at the Baraboo Candy Company where Linda stocked up on Sugar-free candy. This is another stop that they always make when in the area.

By this time, it was getting close to lunch time, so they returned back here to grab a bite to eat and to relax for awhile. (actually, Jim took a nap), ;-)

About 3:30, they left again and this time, went into Wisconsin Dells and to the "Trading Post", where Linda bought a new pair of moccasins. After leaving there, they drove through the downtown Dells Area to see if all the old stores were still there and if not, what had taken their places.

On the way back here, Jim and Linda stopped stopped at a Culver's  Restaurant and bought some chicken for dinner and then stopped again and bought Big RED a drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel.

Now, he's ready to head up to Warrens this morning for the reunion.

Oh!! Jim took a few photos of the Campground yesterday morning that I thought you might like to see.

The office/ store/ residence at Fox Hill Campground

Our site A-7 viewed from the office area

Not large sites, but sufficient. 

The bath house and rest of the park. The pull-through, full hook-up sites are in a large section behind the bath house.

A Point to Ponder : Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

Woof!!!

It Was A Very Good Day, Mike's Visit and Some Shopping

Rantoul, IL.

67 deg. clear, S. wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast = Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.


Wednesday was indeed a very good day, both for Linda and Jim.

It actually started Tuesday when Linda's cousin, Rick, called to wish her a Happy Birthday. Rick always calls the day before her birthday now because one time, he got the dates mixed up on his calendar, and called a couple days late. Now he always calls a day early, just to make sure he isn't late again. :-)

All through the day, Linda got calls from family and friends. Then in the afternoon, Mike, arrived and was able to stay until about 8:00 in the evening.

If you remember, Mike is Jim's son and he flew in from North Carolina to visit Linda and Jim and other family members and friends. (This photo of him was taken when we were in NC this spring.)

After Mike arrived, they visited for a short while and then Jim mentioned something about the airport here and the fact that they're going to close down the Aviation Museum over there. Mike said that he'd really like to see it, so he and Jim drove over there and spent about an hour going through it. (They could have spent more time, but by the time they got over there, the museum was only open for another hour before closing for the day).   Mike really enjoyed it because he works in the aircraft industry, and is very interested in learning about the older aircraft.

After they returned, Jim, Linda and Mike took Big RED and headed over to Fisher, IL, where they went to the Blue Star Restaurant, where they had nice meals and more conversation. Then, they came back here and visited some more.

All too soon, it was time for Mike to leave, but it was sure good to see him again. Linda was especially pleased that he was able to come on her birthday.

It made the day very special. :-)

After Mike left, Laura (Linda's daughter), called, from Florida to wish her a Happy Birthday, and that just topped the day off perfectly.

Thursday, Jim and Linda decided that they needed a few groceries, so instead of going here in town, they headed down to a Meijer Grocery store in Champaign. Normally, they would have gone to the local grocery store here in Rantoul, but lately, they've been out of or have stopped carrying some of the items that they want to purchase. They've noticed that they're many times out of sale items shortly after the sale begins and don't seem to restock those items until the sale is over.

So, even though Jim likes to buy as much as possible locally to help the local economy and the small store owners, they headed to Meijer's and found everything they wanted, and at a good price too.

After dinner, there was a knock on the door and it was Paul and Louise, (The CG hosts). Louise had a small Birthday cake and a card for Linda!!! That was really nice of them. They've really become good friends through the years. :-)

Thank you, Paul and Louise, Linda was thrilled with the cake and the card!!!

Yesterday morning, Jim took Big RED and headed over to Rural King to look for a few items. He found what he wanted then headed over to the Post Office to pick up a general delivery letter that had been sent there. Then to Walgreen's to pick up a prescription for Linda.

The afternoon was spent reading and fooling around with the computer. That is, until dinnertime when Jim fired up the grill and cooked a nice juicy steak that he and Linda had purchased at Meijer's.

It sure smelled good and by all accounts, it tasted really good too, but I wouldn't know, because I didn't get any!!! :-(

Did you know that the concept of a self-service grocery store was developed by entrepreneur Clarence Saunders and his Piggly Wiggly stores? His first store opened in 1916. Saunders was awarded a number of patents for the ideas he incorporated into his stores.

Woof!!!

Campground Photos and Shopping And Eating In "Amish Country"

Winesburg, OH

71 deg. clear, SW wind @ 6 mph.

Forecast = A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.


The  other day, Jim took a few photos of the Amish Country Campsites CG here near Winesburg. It's not a large CG and some of the sites are pretty close to each other, but we really like it here.

As you pull into the entrance of the park the drive is lined with flowers, (most of which are not really blooming yet.

Behind the house there's a large parking area where you park to register. We're in site #1 right at the end of the parking area.

The office

Looking from the office out into the park.

The reason that Jim chose site#1 is that we've got a great view of the road where a lot of Amish buggies pass by pulled by their beautiful horses. Even if you're not looking, you can hear the clip-clop, clip clop of the horses as they pass by.:-)

Every day since we've arrived, (except Sunday, Everything is closes in "Amish Country" on Sundays), Jim and Linda have gone somewhere to shop, eat, or just enjoy the countryside. Linda's found a lot of neat items to give or make for Christmas presents, They've also found some great places to eat out and more places to buy food that is now filling Nora's cabinets, refrigerator and freezer. Many of the things you can buy in this area are hand made by the local people or home grown on the many farms in the area.

Some of the prices are kind of high, but the quality of the products are high too.  Of course you have to beware, as some of the merchandise is imported from, (you know where), and the quality is not as good, but a little careful shopping will pay off.

If you come to this area, be sure to pick up one of the "Visitor Information Guides" that are available almost anywhere in the area. There's a ton of info in the guides to help you find just what you're looking for.

Oh, and just a couple more things. Many of the Amish people do not want you to take their photos, (especially of their faces), so pleas honor their wishes. Also be careful of the Amish buggies that share the road. They're moving at a slow pace and you come up on them very fast.

Did you know that over 165,000 Old Order Amish live in the United States and another 1,500 live in Canada?

Woof!!!

Piketon, OH To Winesburg, OH and A Great Dinner

Winesburg, OH.

62 deg. overcast, N wind @ 8 mph.

Forecast = Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 78F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.


Yesterday morning, we left the Rockwater CG near Piketon about 5 minutes before 10:00 and continued heading North on US-23. 23 took us around Chillicothe and up to the South side of Columbus where we turned East on I-270. 270 took us around the city and up to the Northeast side, where we turned East on OH 161. Following 161, (a very rough road), for about 5 miles, brought us to US 62 where we turned NE.and followed it for about 80 miles to Winesburg, OH.  Then is was only about 1/2 a mile to the Amish Country Campsites.

US 23 was a good 4 lane road, (almost all divided), with just a few rough spots, I-270 was OK but it had it's rough bridge approaches like so many Interstates, OH 161 was very rough and I was glad that we were only on it for about 5 miles. US 62 was good for the most part, but there were some very hilly areas and parts of it were very twisty with 35 to 45 mph curves and steep hills. The road surface of 62, was for the most part, very good.

It was 1:35 when we pulled up in front of the office after traveling 185 miles in 3 hours and 45 minutes. Not too bad considering parts the 80 miles of US 62 were slow going at times.

We been to the Amish Country Campsites twice before. The last time was in 2009 and even though they were full-up when we arrived with our 40' MH, they found a place for us behind the little utility shed next to the office. We even had 30 amp electric that was obtained by running an extension cord through the window. :-)

The folks running this CG are good people and will help you in any way they can. That's why there was no question on where to stay on this trip.

After getting Nora set up and resting for awhile, Jim and Linda decided to go out to dinner. Being that it's only 8 miles away in Wilmot, they headed to the Amish Door Restaurant and Village, where they had a great meal. After eating, they went to the bakery, next door to the restaurant, and bought some home-made bread and other neat stuff. Then, it was relaxing and TV for the rest of the evening.

Today they're planning on doing a little shopping at a few of the many stores in the area.

Oh, and Jim got out that big eraser of his again. He and Linda decided that we'll be staying here 7 days instead of the planned 5 days so that they could take their time exploring and shopping.

Did you know that Cleveland boasts of having America's first traffic light? It began operation on Aug. 5, 1914.

Woof!!!

Final Days At The Rally and NC To TN

Unicoi, TN.

60 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy skies early then heavy thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 78F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch.

Well, the Rally is over!!! :-(  I think everyone had a good time and even though it was longer than most RV-Dreams Rallies, the time just flew by and soon it was time for H and H, (Hugs and Handshakes).

The last few days there weren't as many "scheduled" activities  so that gave people time to go do some sightseeing or whatever they wanted, before they left the area. There was a Continental Breakfast Saturday morning and a mobile technician answered some RV repair questions afterwords.

Then, for dinner there was a Luau where a the menu consisted of a whole roasted pig and all kinds of side dishes. After the dinner, some of the RV-Dreamers played games both in the pavilion and outside.  It sounded like they were all having a lot of fun!! ;-)

Some of the folks that were dressed up for the Luau.

Sunday morning there was a farewell, full breakfast followed by final words from Howard and Linda. Then, it was time for everyone to say good-by until next time. :-(

All in all, it was a great rally and I think that the folks in attendance convinced Howard and Linda to have another Reunion Rally in the future.

After the breakfast, final words, and H and H, most everyone started packing up and hitching up their RVs. Before long, they were pulling out of the RV Park and heading in all different directions. We weren't in a hurry because Jim had called ahead and reserved a site here at the Woodsmoke Campground here in Unicoi, which our GPS showed to be only about 85 miles from the Park.

So, after slowly packing up and hitching Nora to the back of Big RED, we left the park in Marion about 11:05 and headed SW on US 70. 70 brought us to Old Fort, NC where we turned West on I-40. 40 brought us over to Asheville where we tuned off on I-240 and followed it around to the North side of the city, where we turned North on US-23/I-26.

Parts of this road are Interstate and parts are not, so some places it's called US-23 and other places it's called I-26.

Anyway, we followed US-23 up into the mountains, into TN and here to the campground in Unicoi, traveling 87 miles and arriving right at 20 minutes before 1:00.

We stopped here at this CG once before and Jim and Linda really liked it here.

It's probably not a good CG for large RVs although the last time we were here we had Myrddin and he was 40' long. I do remember having trouble getting around some of the corners in the CG though.

Since we were last here, they've built some neat little covered decks at some of the sites, and improved the electric with 50 amp circuits.

This CG is real close to having all the "it factors" that we like in a CG or Park. I sure wish it was on a route that we traveled more frequently, we'd probably stop here every time we came through the area and even stay for awhile.

Jim had originally reserved a site for only one night, but once here, he and Linda decided to stay another night.

That's fine with me. ;-)

Did you know that Tennessee has more than 3,800 documented caves?

Woof!!!