Dave And Dee Dee Visit and Jeff And Heather Arrive From Portland OR

Rantoul, IL

64 deg. mostly cloudy, E wind @ 4 mph.

Forecast today = Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially during the morning hours. High 81F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.


Dave arrived last Thursday but Dee Dee wasn't able to come until Friday afternoon. It sure was good to see them again. When he arrived, it was hot and muggy and the mosquitoes were just horrible. Jim helped him with some of the set-up of his travel trailer and then came back here into Nora's air conditioning.

Friday morning, Dave had an appointment for some oral surgery down in Champaign so Jim drove him down there in Big RED cause the doctors didn't want Dave driving after the procedure. They were back before noon and soon after noon, Dee Dee arrived.

Dee Dee and Dave

Dave brought some firewood, so one night while they were here they had a cook-out where they roasted brats and hot dogs over the fire. Another evening they all went to the Blue Star Restaurant over in Fisher, IL. During the days, they got together to visit.

Monday, Dave and Dee Dee had to leave, but before Dave left, Jeff and Heather came, so he got to meet them.  It sure was good to see Dave and Dee Dee again and Jim and Linda are hoping that we can meet up with them again this winter down in Florida.

 Jeff and Heather

Jeff and Heather rented a car and drove down here from Jeff's Mother's house. Jeff said that the drive  took them about an hour and a half.

After talking for awhile, everyone got into Big RED and they headed down to Urbana where they went to a grocery Co-OP store that Jeff and Heather knew about. From what I understand, Jeff and Heather belong to the same Co-Op group out in Oregon.

After returning and talking some more, a couple pizzas were ordered from Monical's Pizza.

 

 Jim and Jeff

After eating almost all of the pizza, everyone enjoyed more conversation and catching up on what's been happening since we last saw them 4 years ago. 

Jeff and Heather stayed until about 8:45 when they left for the hour and a half trip back up to Jeff's mother's house where they would spend the night before getting on a flight back to Portland, OR,  Tuesday. 

It was a short but great visit with Jeff and Heather. It was really good to see them again and we're hoping to see them again in the near future.

Jim and Linda are now starting to do things that have to be done before we leave here on the 21st of this month. That's less than a week away and as usual, they have a pretty long list of things they want to do.

 Did you know that on this date in 1620 - The Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England. The ship arrived at Provincetown, MA, on November 21st and then at Plymouth, MA, on December 26th? There were 102 passengers onboard.

Catching Up Again

Rantoul, IL.

70 deg. fog, no wind.

Forecast = Foggy this morning, then partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.


It's been awhile since I've posted so I thought I'd try to catch up a little.

Monday, the 8th of August, (the day after we returned here from the reunion), both Linda and Jim had appointments with Dr. Anderson, their eye doctor. She's the Dr. who did Linda's cataracts a few years ago and also has been treating Jim's glaucoma.  Over the last few years, Linda had developed a "film" over her cataract implants that has gradually been getting worse and was starting to impair her vision. The right eye was the worst, so Dr. Anderson removed the film with a laser treatment right in her office.

Jim just needed an annual check-up to make sure his glaucoma was under control.

Linda's procedure went off without a hitch and Jim's check-up did also. An appointment was made for Linda to come back in a week, to make sure the eye was healing properly and for Jim to have a field of vision test and a complete eye exam, since he hadn't had one for a couple years.

So, yesterday, they went back, Linda's eye is doing well and Jim's eye exam showed no problems with the retinas or any other part of his eyes  :-)

In between appointments, Jim and Linda have gone out to eat a few times, gone grocery shopping at the Meijer's Store  down in Champaign, picked up a few items at the local Ace Hardware, went to Walgreen's to pick up a few prescriptions, and shopped for a few items at Rural King where Jim picked up a couple short sleeved shirts that they were closing out for the summer.

Other than that, it's just been day-to-day living here in Rantoul.

There's still a few more doctor appointments coming up and there's a planned visit to see Denny and Bev, (part of the "Illinois Bunch"), in about a week and, more plans for Dave and Dee Dee to come here to the CG early in September, Don't worry though, I'll be sure to keep you informed as those things happen. ;-)

Did you know that today is "Black Cat Appreciation Day"?

Woof!!!

Bummer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DeBary, FL.

51 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = A mix of clouds and sun. High 78F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.


Bummer!!!!!!! Sunday morning at about 1:00 am, Jim woke up with a stomach ache. From that time on, until about 10:00 am, he spent most of the time in the bathroom!!! :-(  We don't know if it was a side effect from the chemo treatment he had on Friday or if he picked up a "bug" someplace, but it really doesn't matter as there was no way that he'd be able to make it to the much anticipated fish fry later in the day!!!! :-(   In fact, since he hadn't slept much during the night, he slept much of yesterday. When he was awake, he just watched some TV while trying to re-hydrate himself as much as possible.

Linda called Dee Dee to let her and Dave know that she and Jim wouldn't be able to make it to the fish fry. Of course Dee Dee understood and said that she and Dave would be in our area sometime in March and would try to stop by for awhile for a visit.

I hope they can. I'm sure Jim and Linda would enjoy visiting with them.

Don't really have much else to report. It sure was nice that Jim didn't have to head over to get a radiation treatment this morning. In fact, he actually slept in a little, getting up about 7:00 instead of 5:00 or 5:30. ;-)

A Quote to Ponder :  “Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams.”
Author Unknown

Woof!!!

Last Radiation Treatment and A Fish Fry?

DeBary, FL.

39 deg. clear,, no wind.

Forecast = Abundant sunshine. High 68F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday Night = A clear sky. Low 39F. Winds light and variable.


Nothing special happened since I last posted except, yesterday, Jim had his last Radiation treatment!! :-)  That means that he won't have to be getting up and leaving here by 8;15 every weekday morning and hopefully, some of the side effects such as the fatigue Jim has been experiencing, will start to fade away.

He also had his last weekly Chemo treatment yesterday. The next treatment will be in about 21 days, although, he will still have to go in to get a blood test every week, in-between the treatments. The Chemo treatments Jim has been receiving, have lasted about 3 hours, but these last 2 treatments will last about 5 hours, so it will be a longer day and who knows what the side effects will be from the heavier dose of the medications.

To celebrate Jim's last Radiation Treatment, He and Linda went to Gram's Kitchen for dinner last night. Jim ordered the Prime Rib Special that they have every weekend and Linda ordered meatloaf. As usual both dinners were very good.

Oh, speaking of food!!! The other day, Jim received an e-mail from Dave, (one of the Illinois bunch), and they are having their annual "fish fry" over at their home at the Southern Aire RV Park in Thonotosassa, FL tomorrow.

If you are a long time reader of this blog, you may remember that the whole Illinois Bunch used to spend the winter at that RV Park and we used to spend a couple weeks each winter camping over there and visiting with them.  Well, we lost Gordy a couple years ago and Dorthy sold their Motorhome. Denny and Bev have not been coming down to Florida for the last couple years, so that just leaves Dave and Dee Dee who have bought a Park Model Home over there.

Anyway, every summer, Dave does a lot of fishing up in Illinois. He and Dee Dee freeze the fish and bring them down here for a "fish fry" for their friends. Most everyone brings food along, so they end up having a Pot Luck Dinner with the fish as the main dish. If I remember right, there were about 50 people there for the last fish fry that Jim and Linda were able to attend, 2 years ago.

If Jim is still feeling well, Lila will take them over there tomorrow. They're  planning on eating around 3:00 but if they can, Jim and Linda will head over there earlier so that they can spend tome time visiting with Dave and Dee Dee, before they get too busy with meal set-up, preparation and cooking.

Should be a fun day, and it will be a good excuse for Jim and Linda to get out of here for a day. ;-)


Did you know that today is  International Sword Swallowers 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!!!

This and That

Rantoul, IL

48 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Sunny, High near 80F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.


Paul and Louise left Friday afternoon to begin their trip down to Florida. They should be at their destination by now, but so far, we haven't heard anything official.

Friday morning, Linda had another treatment to one of her eyes. Everything went well and she and Jim were back here before noon. She just has one more treatment before we head out, and that will be this Friday. Then, she won't need to see an eye doctor again before we get down to Florida, sometime around the middle of November.

It looks like today is going to be a shopping day. Jim  and Linda need to get some groceries before the "Illinois Bunch" get here tomorrow.

OH!!! I'm sorry!!!! Did I forget to mention that Denny and Bev, and Dave and Dee Dee are coming for 3 days, starting tomorrow?  I guess with all the other stuff that's been going on, I forgot to mention it!! :-(

Anyway, they'll be rolling in here tomorrow and leaving on Friday. It'll be really good to see them again. It's too bad they can't stay longer.

More definite plans are starting to be made for our trip back down to Florida. At one point, Jim and Linda were thinking about going up to Michigan for another Rally, but they've decided not to do that. Now it looks like we'll be heading out to Virginia Beach to see Joe and his family first, then to Apex to see Mike and his family, and then, head down to FL. from there.

One of the reasons we'll head to VB first is that Jim says that he's "sick and tired" of traveling the same roads all the time and wants to change thing around. (He's been working on a trip plan, routing us on almost all different roads). :-)

Did you know that today is *National Kreme Filled Donut Day"?

Woof!!!

2 Nice Surprises

Rantoul, IL.

70 deg. clear, lite fog, no wind.

Forecast = A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds light and variable.


Yesterday morning, the phone rang and it was Mike Young. Jim and Linda met Mike and Terri years ago at an RV Dreams rally and have been friends with them ever since. They were at the RV-Dreams reunion rally this spring and at that time they said that they may be coming through this area sometime this summer.

Well, they are and they should be getting here to the Prairie Pines Campground sometime this afternoon!!! :-) I don't know how long they'll be staying, but Mike said that they'll be here for a few days.

It'll be great to see them again and be able to visit with them to catch up on what's been happening lately.

Then, about 11:00 yesterday morning, the phone rang again and this time it was Dave. Dave and Dee Dee are part of the "Illinois Bunch" that Jim and Linda meet up with whenever they can. Dave said that they were up in Kankakee, (which is North of here), and heading home, (they live South of here near Neoga, IL). and were wondering if it would be OK if they stopped by for a visit?

Jim told Dave that they'd be here and were looking forward to them stopping for a visit.

So,  ,  ,  ,  about 12:30 Dave and Dee Dee arrived. They were able to stay and visit for about an hour and a half. :-) It sure was good to see them again, and if everything works out, Dave and Dee Dee and Denny and Bev, (more of the "Illinois Bunch"), are planning on coming here to Prairie Pines sometime in September to camp for awhile! :-)

The weather guessers are saying that it's supposed to be quite hot and humid here today, so Jim and Linda are thinking that maybe Mike and Terri would like to go out to eat someplace instead of heating up one of the RVs to make a meal. They'll have to wait until Mike and Terri get here to see how they feel about the idea.

Did you know that on average, there area 333 squares of toilet paper on a roll?

Woof!!!

New Glasses and Dave And Dee Dee Stop By

DeBary, FL.

51 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast - Partly cloudy. Highs around 77°F. North northeast wind 4 to 9 MPH.


By his eye doctor up in Illinois, it was suggested that Jim get new glasses back in 2013, but then Linda got sick and so they were kind of put on hold. Well, Wednesday, Jim decided that it was time. so he and Linda took Big RED and headed over to the 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore in Orange City.

They have a special where if you buy one pair of glasses, you get a second pair free for yourself or a family member and the plan was to get Jim a new pair of glasses and then Linda could get the second free pair. Well, all of that went according to plan, but when the optometrists learned that Linda was getting the injections in her eye, she suggested that Linda not get glasses right now as the injections more than likely were affecting her vision and new glasses would probably be a waste of money.

So, what to do?

Well, Jim still needed new glasses so he went ahead and had the exam and picked out the new frames. He didn't need a second pair of glasses, so being that Linda wouldn't  be getting the second free pair, the manager at the store started discounting Jim's glasses. She discounted his glasses to 1/2 price, and also gave him a large discount on the optional transition lenses he wanted.

Once Linda's eyes stabilize she will be able to get new glasses, but for now, the reading glasses that she purchased at Walgreen's are working quite well.

Thursday, Dave and Dee Dee, (Part of the Illinois Bunch), stopped by.  They were on their way from Thonotosassa, (where they now have a "Park Model Home", to visit some people in Orange City for a few days. They stayed and visited for a couple hours before heading over there. It was sure good to see them again and tentative plans were made to meet up with them up in Rantoul, sometime this fall.

Thanks for stopping by, Dave and Dee Dee, Jim and Linda really enjoyed your visit!! :-)

Friday, Jim went back to the eyeglass store and picked up his new glasses. They're a little different than his last ones, but I like them and he says that he can see better with them.

Nothing much else to report. A small leak had appeared out in the storage shed so Jim called Kevin, (a local handyman), and he came over one day and caulked an area where there were the screws go through the roof to fasten it to the shed walls. Other than that, it's just been the normal day-to-day things like laundry and grocery shopping.


Did you know that Salvino D'Armate probably invented eyeglasses in around 1285, though various sources suggest an earlier origin. He shared the invention of his new device with Allesandro della Spina, an Italian monk, who made it public and is often credited with inventing eyeglasses. The first eyeglasses had frames made of metal or bone and had lenses made out of quartz because the ''opticians'' of that time didn't have the capabilities of producing flawless lenses in glass.

Woof!!!

Another Week Has Gone By

DeBary, FL.

54 deg. mostly cloudy, N. wind @ 5 mph.

Forecast = Showers early, then cloudy in the afternoon. High 72F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.


Well, another week has gone by since I've posted. :-(  I guess it's because we're in the house this winter and not in an RV that I'm having trouble finding things to write about.. cause other years, it's been sometimes days between post, not a week or more.

Last Wednesday, Jim and Linda took Big RED and went to Gram's Kitchen for dinner. Thursday was grocery shopping day at Winn Dixie, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, absolutely nothing happened except Sunday morning, Jim and Linda went over to Laura and Lindsey's for coffee and doughnuts and to see Ashley, (who was down here from Jacksonville for the day). Other than that, it's been just normal day-to-day living. Then, last night they again took Big RED and headed to dinner, this time at Bob Evans, where they had breakfast for dinner.

Wow!!! Really exciting. Huh????

Of course, now this weekend, there's a conflict about things to do. You see, Sunday, Dave, (one of the Illinois bunch), who is wintering over in Thonotosassa, FL called to invite Jim and Linda over to the annual Fish Fry that they will be having this Sunday. Jim and Linda would have surely gone except Sunday is the day Linda's brother, Glenn and his wife Jeanette are arriving here from Wisconsin.  they actually arrived in Florida yesterday, but landed in Miami and will be heading to Key Largo and other parts of Southern FL. before driving up here to DeBary,

So, Jim and Linda had to tell Dave that they couldn't make it this year. :-(  Isn't that always the way? Nothing happens for a week or more and then two things happen on the same day!!! :-(

It'll be really good to see Glenn and Jeanette though. With Linda's health problems, it's been over a year since we've seen them. It sounds like they'll be getting here sometime during the afternoon, having dinner here with Linda, Jim, Laura and Lindsey and then staying in a hotel in the area before heading to Orlando to catch a flight back to Wisconsin.

Linda already has Sunday's meal planned and all the groceries have been purchased. She's going to try to keep it fairly simple so that she doesn't have to spend time in the kitchen cooking while Glenn and Jeanette are here.

I think she's planning on making a Pot Roast in the slow cooker. :-)

Did you know that In 1951, Diners Club issued the first credit card to 200 customers who could use it at 27 restaurants in New York? But it was only until the establishment of standards for the magnetic strip in 1970 that the credit card became part of the information age.

Woof!!!

The Illinois Bunch Leaves and 2 Down And 0 To Go

Rantoul, IL.

50 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast = Areas of patchy fog early. Partly cloudy. High 67F. Winds light and variable.

There was rain just North of here yesterday morning and if you checked the radar, you could see that there was more rain heading right towards Rantoul. So, both Denny and Dave started "breaking camp" earlier than they normally would have. It's a good thing that they did because just as they were finishing, it started raining and rained fairly hard for the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon.

I don't remember just what time it was, but after h and h, (hugs and handshakes), they pulled out of their sites and headed for home. :-(   (I think it was around 10:30).  It sure was good to see them again and more than likely, we'll see Dave and Dee Dee down in Florida sometime this winter. :-)  However, Denny and Bev have decided not to go to Florida this winter, so we probably won't see them until sometime next summer. :-(

After they left, it was time to start getting ready to head down to Urbana. Linda's appointment at the Hospital was  at 12:45 so being that it was raining quite hard at times, Jim and Linda left here about 11:45.

Big RED said that it only sprinkled on the way down there and by about 12:15, he was pulling into the patient drop-off/pick-up area where one of the volunteers came out and took Linda inside with a wheelchair. By the time Jim found a spot to park Big RED in that scary parking garage, with the low clearance, and returned to the main entrance, Linda had registered again and was waiting for him in the lobby.

Another volunteer then took them up to the surgery area on the 2nd floor where Linda checked in and then waited in the waiting room for a nurse to come and get her. After about 1/2 hour, the nurse came and took Linda back to Pre-Op and then about 45 minutes after that, Jim was told that he could go to room 28 on the 2nd floor to be with her.

Then, it was time to wait again. :-(

Things did go much better this time though. About 3:30 they came into the room and took Linda into surgery. (again, Jim was able to just stay in the room to wait), and with-in a half  hour, they brought her back again, surgery completed!! :-)

By 4:30, Jim was retrieving Big RED from the parking garage and pulling up to the patient pick-up area. In just a little while, yet another volunteer brought Linda out and by a little before 5:00 they were pulling into the parking lot at the Urbana Gardens Restaurant. (Linda was hungry because she wasn't allowed to eat anything since midnight.)

After enjoying another good meal, Big RED brought them back here to the CG where both Linda and Jim relaxed, dozed in their chairs and watched TV until about 10:00 when they went to bed.

So, that's over with!!!! The surgery went well and both Linda and Jim were talking about how good it was to have the surgery completed. Now, maybe they can both relax a little. Linda will have to go for a follow-up on the surgery tomorrow, (Wednesday), and then on the 30th of Sept. she has an appointment to see Dr. Gandhi to see if she needs another injection. And, Dr. Anderson may want to see her again to check on the cataract surgery one more time before we leave here.

As far as leaving here, Jim has been working on trip plans and has decided that if at all possible, we should leave here by at least the 13th of October. If everything goes well, we may leave a little before that date to give us a little more time to head East to NC and VA to see Mike and Joe and their families and then head South to Florida,

Again, everything is written in pencil and Jim still has that big eraser. ;-)

Did you know that your eyes are always the same size from birth?

Woof!!!

Lots Of Visiting With The "Illinois Bunch" and Cataract Surgery Today

Rantoul, IL.

51 deg. cloudy, no wind.
Forecast =  Mostly cloudy with isolated storms. Highs around 64°F. South wind 1 to 7 MPH. Chance of precipitation 60 percent. New precipitation amounts up to one quarter inch possible.

Not a whole lot going on around here except a whole bunch of visiting. Friday, Dorthy drove down here to the CG and stayed until early evening.  The Pot Luck went off without a hitch and everyone got plenty to eat. The only thing that could have been better was the weather. It was cloudy and quite cool with some wind. :-(

Saturday was sunnier and a little warmer, but there was still some wind, so if you were in the shade, it felt pretty cool. That, of course, didn't stop everyone from getting together around the campfire or inside of Denny and Bev's motor home to visit though.

Also on Saturday, Dave found out that the furnace in his trailer wasn't working. After some investigation, he found a wire shorted out down by the furnace. The wire was rerouted, but the furnace is now making some noise from the fan, so he'll probably have to take it back to the dealer for repairs.

Yesterday was very nice with lots of sun, temperatures in the upper 60's and almost no wind. Linda spent most of the afternoon over at Bev's, visiting and Jim, Denny and Dave spent the afternoon visiting and solving all the problems of the world. ;-) Dee Dee went shopping with her daughter who drove down here from her home, somewhere North of here.

For dinner yesterday, Jim and Linda and Denny and Bev decided to have Pizza for dinner. So, they ordered a Pizza from Monical's Pizza. After a little while, Big RED took Jim and Denny to pick it up and bring it back here to Denny and Bev's.

Again, the pizza was very good and they all enjoyed even more visiting and catching up on this last year's happenings.

Linda was getting pretty tired, so Jim walked with Linda back here to Nora and then went back to visit some more with Denny and Dave who had started another campfire.  

After visiting for awhile Jim came back here and then he and Linda watched "Da Bears" win a pretty good game over the 49ers.

This morning, Denny and Bev and Dave and Dee Dee will be packing up and leaving. Then, about noon, Big RED will take Linda and Jim down to Urbana so that Linda can have the Cataract Surgery on her other eye. Linda is not looking forward to the surgery, but is looking forward to seeing a little better out of that eye. (This is the eye that has the diabetic damage.)

Hopefully everything will go a little quicker at the hospital this time and she won't have to wait so long.

Did you know that the muscle that lets your eye blink is the fastest muscle in your body? It allows you to blink 5 times a second.

Woof!!!

Good News, 2/3 Of The Illinois Bunch Arrive and A Pot Luck Is Planned

Rantoul, IL

51 deg. overcast, no wind.
Forecast = A mix of clouds and sun. High 63F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.

Since the weather was better yesterday morning than the day before, Jim and Linda didn't leave the CG until about 8:15. By a little before 9:00, (Linda's appointment time), they were in Doctor Anderson's office and being escorted back to one of the rooms where a nurse gave Linda a quick eye test. Soon, Dr. Anderson came in, checked Linda's eye and said that everything looked really good!!!

She also said that she didn't see any reason that the cataract on other eye couldn't be operated on this coming Monday!!! :-)

Good News!!!! Everything's going as planned!!! (so far).

Jim didn't have anything to eat before he and Linda went to the Doctor's office, so when they returned to Rantoul, they stopped by the Red Wheel Restaurant before coming back here to the CG. Both had the biscuits and gravy with a side order of sausage and both said that it was very good.

A little after noon, Dave and Dee Dee pulled into Prairie Pines Campground with their new Keystone Travel Trailer and their new Ford Pickup truck. This last winter, they bought a Park Model home down in Florida, so they really didn't need the big 5th wheel any longer or the big truck to pull it.

Then, about 1/2 an hour later, Denny and Bev pulled in with their Winnebago Brave MH.

(I'll get Jim to take some photos, just a soon as I can). ;-)

As I said yesterday, Gordy and Dorthy won't be coming because of Gordy's health problems, but I understand that Dorthy is planning on driving down here today, for just a day visit. Dave and Dee Dee and Denny and Bev will be staying until Monday morning. :-)

Being that Dorthy is driving down here today, a "pot luck" is being planned for today. The plan is to cook hot dogs, hamburgers and brats on a grill or over a campfire and then make the other items inside.  I don't know what Linda is making but it'll probably be either a vegetable or a desert.

Should be a fun day! ;-)

Did you know that the pin that holds a hinge together is called a pintle?

Woof!!!

A Little Glitch and The Illinois Bunch Arrive Today

Rantoul, IL.

56 deg. overcast, N. wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast = Mostly cloudy. Highs around 63°F. North wind to 10 MPH.

Had a little g.itch yesterday morning.

Because it was raining hard, off and on, Jim and Linda left here about 8:00 so that they'd be sure to get down to the south side of Champaign by 9:00 for Linda's follow-up appointment. Big RED said that they were heading South on I-57 in heavy rain and wind when the phone rang. Linda answered it and was told that her appointment was canceled because Dr. Anderson was sick and couldn't come in to see any patients.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  at the next exit they turned off of I-57 and brought some county roads back here to the CG. :-(

The nurse that Linda talked to said that Linda's appointment would be rescheduled for today at 9:00, but even the nurse was wondering if Dr. Anderson would be well enough to come in.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but we're on a pretty tight time schedule here. Linda is tentatively scheduled for surgery on her other eye this next Monday, it's still just tentative and now there's the possibility that the surgery will be delayed. If it is, it may cause a conflict with an appointment that Linda has with Dr. Gandhi to have another one of those injections.

Both of Linda's eyes seem to be doing well. She says that since the cataract surgery on her left eye, she can see better with it than she has for a long time. Most of the irritation has disappeared in both eyes and she thinks everything is healing up nicely. ;-)

Today, Most of the "Illinois Bunch" are coming here to the Prairie Pines Campground, (Because of Gordy's health I don't think he and Dorthy will be coming). and they'll be staying until Monday morning.  I imagine that they'll be getting here sometime around noon, so unless there's a delay at Dr. Anderson's office, Big RED should be able to get Jim and Linda back here by then.

We had a lot of rain yesterday. (I know it was well over an inch), and then late yesterday afternoon, we had pretty strong storm come through the area. After the storm, the temperature started dropping and now this morning, it's down to 56 degrees with a forecasted high of only 63 degrees today.

Did you know that on this date in 1967 - The Carol Burnett Show premiered on CBS?

Woof!!!

Dave and Dee Dee Stop By and Happy Hour With Mike And Terri

Rantoul, IL.

60 deg. partly cloudy, NW wind @ 6 mph.
Forecast =  Partly cloudy. Highs around 73°F. North northwest wind to 14 MPH, gusting to 21 MPH.

We had some pretty strong storms roll through this area Saturday evening. That was to be expected though as Saturday was real hot and humid and the forecasters were saying that there was a cold front coming down from the Northwest. We were lucky though, the heaviest storms passed just to the South of Rantoul. Yesterday was very windy with showers off and on. Again, the heaviest rain showers just missed us, this time, to the North.

Sometime during the late morning, yesterday, the phone rang and it was Terri. She wanted to know if Linda was up to coming over to their site about 4 or 4:30 for a "happy hour"? Linda said that it sounded like fun so plans were made to go over to Mike and Terri's around 4:30.

Then, around noon the phone rang again and it was Dave and Dee Dee, You long time readers will remember them. They're part of the "Illinois Bunch" and were the ones that had the great fish fry down in Tampa this last winter that Jim and Linda went to. Well, they were up in Kankakee, IL, (which is North of here), and were heading home to their house in Neoga, IL., (which is South of here), and called to find out if it would be alright if they'd stop by for a little while, on their way?

Linda told Dave that we'd love to have them stop by and visit. So, about an hour later, they pulled up along side of Big RED and came inside.

It was sure great to see them again and after a "nickel tour" of Nora they sat and visited for an hour or so. They've traded their large 5th wheel trailer for a travel trailer, and have a smaller pick-up truck ordered. (You don't need a big dually truck to pull a travel trailer). They're wanting to come here to Prairie Pines for while sometime in September, and it sounds like Denny and Bev, (more of the Illinois bunch), may be coming too. And even Gordy and Dorthy, (the rest of the Illinois bunch), may come down for a day. :-)

Gordy and Dorthy have sold their Motorhome because Gordy's health is not very good anymore and Dorthy has also had some medical problems also, but if they can they'll drive down for a day.

After Dave and Dee Dee left, Jim took a little nap and then about 4:30 he and Linda headed over to Mike and Terri's. They had a great time visiting and ended up staying for a couple hours. ;-)

By the time they left, it was fairly late, so they took Big RED and headed over to Arby's, picked up a couple roast beef sandwiches and brought them back here for dinner.

Linda's doing fine. She only had one severe dizzy spell as they were leaving Mike and Terri's. She was fairly tired by the time they got home, but said that she felt fine and was really glad that they went.

Thanks, Dave and Dee Dee and Mike and Terri!!!!!

No plans that I know of for today. I guess we'll just wait and see what happens. ;-)

 Did you know that on this date in 1896 - The city of Miami, FL, was incorporated?

Woof!!!

OK! I Got The Message!!!

DeBary, FL.

55 deg. overcast, W. wind @ 25 mph.
Forecast = A mix of clouds and sun. High 58F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph.

OK!!! I get the message!!!

I've received a couple e-mails and a comment about Mr. L's name and I guess it's time for me to reconsider. The comment came from Dave, (One of the Illinois Bunch and the one who had the fish fry this past Sunday), and the e-mails were from friends and relatives, all who said that the name just doesn't fit the new truck.

Dave's comment was the most compelling and he was the only one that had a suggestion as to a new name. In case you didn't read the comment, here it is.

"Ok Mr. Blaine I'm going to disagree with you. Let me tell everyone, the pic's that are posted of Jim's new truck do not do it justice. Not that it's much prettier or anything like that but this truck is RED and I mean RED with a capital R-E-D red, not reddish, not red hue, not red tint, but RED! I've seen it up close and personal, it is not red but RED. If you hate red you would hate this truck, if you love red this this truck would give you an orgasm! It is RED! Sorry Mr. Blaine but this truck's name should be Big RED!"

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  after much thought, and a conversation with Mr. L, I have decided to change his name to "Big RED". The name really does "fit" him better and he seems happy with it. In fact when I told him what I had decided to name him, I think I saw a little smile in his grill. ;-)

Yesterday morning, Jim and Linda took Big RED and headed over to DeLand and to a place that Jim found on the Internet called Truck Stuff. They have all kinds of accessories for trucks and if they don't have it in stock, they'll be glad to order it for you and in most cases have it the next day. When they came back, I learned that Jim had bought custom fit splash guards for both the front and rear fenders and a set of 4 window visors for the side windows.

The splash guards will stop the crud from the roads from getting up on the fenders and the window visors will allow Jim and Linda to leave the windows open slightly without the chance of rain entering the cab, both while driving and while stopped.

After Jim and Linda returned, Jim went out and installed the splash guards and window visors. Then, because there was a weather front coming across the state, they headed to Gram's Kitchen for an early dinner.

The front came through about 5:30 and it brought quite a bit of wind and about an inch of rain in just a couple hours. There was some wind damage in the area and a tornado reported in the Western part of the state, but no severe damage reported right here in DeBary.

Tomorrow, Linda has an appointment with the Radiation doctor. They're going to do some tests and exams, (I think I heard MRI at one time), and then I'm pretty sure that her radiation treatments will start next week. I expect today to be kind of hard for Linda as again, there's the unknown. :-(

Did you know that in the middle Ages, people believed that the first unmarried person of the opposite sex you met on the morning of St. Valentine's Day would become your spouse?

Woof!!!!

A Great Day

DeBary, FL.

48 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Sunny. High 74F. Winds light and variable.

Yesterday morning, Jim and Linda were busy getting ready to head to the fish fry at Dave and Dee Dee's. Jim was putting lawn chairs and a cooler with drinks in it in Mr. L and Linda was busy inside getting everything else ready to go.

A little after 1:00 we pulled out of the driveway and headed for a gas station where Jim bought a bag of ice for the cooler.

Yes, you read that right!!! I said "we"!!! ;-)   Jim and Linda took me along and it was sure good to get out of the house and on the road again. I hadn't been anywhere since we came down here, way back in August.

Anyway, after stopping for Ice, we headed over to the Southern Aire RV Resort in Thonotosassa. It's about 100 miles over there, so it took us about an hour and 45 minutes to get there.

Everyone brought lawn chairs, positioned them around the fryer and visited for about an hour. That's Dee Dee in the pink blouse.

As close as I could tell, there were about 25 people there, and I think everyone had a good time. Dave is the one in the maroon shirt.

That's Dorthy, (One of the Illinois Bunch), standing and talking to Linda.

These are the tables where all the food was placed. Almost everyone brought some kind of side dish or desert.

Then, it was time to fry the fish!!! It sure did smell good and everyone was commenting on how good it tasted. ;-)

I think everyone had a good time. (I know Jim and Linda did). Everyone said that the food was great and how much they enjoyed the afternoon.

I know that Jim and Linda really enjoyed being there and want to thank Dave and Dee Dee for inviting them.

I don't know just what time it was when we left, but by the time we arrived back in DeBary, it was dark. Mr. L preformed well and Jim says that he's very comfortable to drive. Linda was completely exhausted by the time we returned, but said that she was really glad that we went.

All in all, it was a great day!!!!  :-)

Thanks, Dave and Dee Dee!!!!!

Did you know that the FIRST brothers to win Olympic gold medals were Americans John and Sumner Paine? They came first in the military pistol and free pistol shooting events respectively in 1896.

Woof!!!!

It's In The Carport

DeBary, FL.

68 deg. overcast, SW wind @ 6 mph.
Forecast = Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 81F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

Guess what's sitting in the carport???

Yep!!!! A big, bright, Red, Dodge pick-up!!!!

Jim and Linda couldn't do much Sunday about getting things rolling as far as the new truck was concerned, so they just watched all that football stuff on TV. As you probably know by now, the Football game was a "bust" so they didn't even watch the last part of it.

Monday morning, Linda called their Financial Adviser and put into motion the process of getting some money transferred to the bank. After that, Jim called their insurance agent, told her about the new truck and got the insurance ready to transfer to it.

Then, while Jim was out getting all of the "stuff" out of CLT, Linda spent rest of the day doing a little embroidery work and taking cat naps. :-) That is until about 5:00 when Laura stopped by, picked up Linda and took her to see that new Hobbit movie at a theater over in Altamont Springs. They both enjoyed the movie and by about 10:00 or so, Laura was dropping her back off. ;-)  By the time Linda came back into the house, she was really beat and just collapsed in her recliner for the rest of the evening.

Yesterday morning, Linda called the bank to make sure that the money had been transferred. It was, so Jim called Jay, over at Gibson Truck World and told him that he and Linda would be there right after lunch to purchase the truck.

So, about 12:30, they took CLT, stopped at the bank to pick up a cashiers check  and headed over there.

It was kind of sad to see CLT pull out of the driveway, knowing that it would be the last time I'd see that little green truck. :-(   He's been a really good little truck throughout the years and has served Jim and Linda faithfully since 2005, with hardly any problems at all.

I'll miss you, CLT!!! :-(

Once over to the dealer, the whole process of trading began. Jim says that he can't understand why it takes so long, but it took about 3 hours to get all the T's crossed the the I's dotted. Basically, the whole process went pretty smoothly and by about 4:00, I heard the new truck backing into the carport. (or should I be calling it a truckport)? :-)

I haven't been out there yet, but from what I could see by looking out of the window, it sure looks nice. (Did I mention that it's Red)????  I didn't realize how much bigger it would be than CLT. It sure takes up more room out there than he did!!

Today, Jim wants to go and get a couple spare keys made for the new truck and he'll need to get some of that "stuff" he took out of CLT, put into it. He and Linda also need to do some laundry, so it's looking like it'll be a fairly busy day.

Oh!! The other day, Dave, (one of the Illinois bunch), called. Many of you long-time followers will remember that every year, about this time, he and Dee Dee have a fish fry over at the park in Thonotosassa, (near Tampa). Well, he called to invite Jim and Linda over there for the fish fry this next Sunday. He follows this blog and knows that Linda doesn't have much energy, but he's hoping that they might be able to make it over there again this year.

Linda did pretty well at the dealer yesterday, so she and Jim are hoping that by the weekend, she'll be feeling well enough to go. It would be a nice drive over there to see good friends and also be a good excuse to take the new truck for a nice long drive to see how it performs. (It's about 100 miles over there).

Who knows, maybe I could even ride along!! ;-)

Did you know that Red Buttons (Aaron Chwatt) was born on this date in 1919?

Woof!!!!

Did I mention that the new truck is Red????

Guess Who's Coming To Lunch? and An Accident

DeBary, FL.

67 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast =

Partly cloudy. Fog early. High of 93F. Winds from the South at 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday, Jim called Mike to let him know how Linda was doing and to ask about Dillon. Guess what he found out? Mike told Jim that Dillon evidently didn't have Chickenpox because all the spots were gone and his fever was also down to normal.

Wow!!! That means that Mike and his family can stop by here Saturday on the way back up to North Carolina!!!!

Of course, with 3 children, things can happen, but it sure looks like this is doable. ;-)

So, the plan is for Mike, Gina, Susan, (Gina's Mother), and the kids to stop by here around noon on Saturday for lunch, and then continue their trip from here after seeing the house and visiting for awhile.

The house is still in pretty good shape, so a little straightening up a quick dusting and a vacuuming of the floors is really all that will be needed.

Today, there's nothing planned except to get the house ready and go to Winn Dixie to pick up a few items for lunch tomorrow. I kind of doubt if Linda will go along to the grocery store since she's still quite sore from the exam the other day.

Oh, one more thing.

Jim got an e-mail from Bev. You long time readers will remember that Bev is Denny's wife,.(part of the Illinois Bunch), She said that Denny had had an accident with his Gold Wing Motorcycle. Denny is OK with just some soreness and road rash, but Denise his adult daughter who was riding with him, did not fare so well. She's in the hospital with 7 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, 7 stitches in her elbow and quite a bit of road rash. Bev said that while they were going around a curve the bike hit some wet pavement and went down, sending them and the bike into a guard rail.

Denny feels really bad that Denise got hurt, but it could have been worse. Thankfully they were wearing helmets, (Denise's was destroyed), and were dressed properly.

Our thoughts and prayers are heading their way and we're hoping for a speedy recovery for Denise.

Did you know that today is "National Chocolate Cupcake Day"?

Woof!!!

A Friend To The Rescue and Plans Are Made

Rantoul, IL.

66 deg. clear, W. wind @ 7 mph.
Forecast = high temperature 82 deg. partly cloudy, NW wind @ 10 to 20 mph. 30% chance of rain.

What would humans do without friends? Oh, I suppose they'd muddle through, but it sure is nice when a friend comes to the rescue.

Dave, (One of the Illinois Bunch) that many of you will remember from previous posts, has been reading this blog and knew that Jim was thinking about going up to the Elkhart area to try to get the slideout problem taken care of. Well, Wednesday, Dave sent Jim an e-mail telling him about an RV Repair shop that he has used that is located in Middlebury, IN. Because he knows the owner, he had the owner's cell phone number and told Jim to go ahead and "drop" his name if he wanted to.

Jim really didn't have any idea of who to contact up there so this was a very welcome suggestion.

Yesterday morning, Jim called the number that Dave had given him and talked to Larry at Fox RV Inc. in Middlebury, IN. After talking to Larry about the slide problem plus a few other minor items that could use attention and then telling him when we would be in the area, Larry checked his books and said that he could get Bobbie T in to work on her on the 9th of July.

Wow!!! That's the day that Jim had originally planned to get up to that area and would give Larry plenty of time to work on Bobbie T. before he needed to take her up to White Pigeon, MI. for an appointment that Jim has made with Quadra Mfg. to have "Big Foot" levelers installed on the 12th!

Jim was very impressed with Larry. He seemed very knowledgeable about Bobbie T's slideout system and also seemed to know exactly what to do to check and repair the other minor problems that Jim told him about.

So, , ,  ,  ,  , now the plan is complete and I can tell you all about it. : )  We'll be leaving here on Monday, the 8th of July, (right after the 4th of July holiday weekend), head up to Middlebury for the appointment at Fox RV on the 9th, spend a few days doing touristy things in the Middlebury/Shipshewana area and then head up to White Pigeon on the 12th to get the levelers installed.

From there, the plan is to head on up into Michigan, cross the Mackinaw/Mackinac (?) bridge up into the U.P of Michigan, head across the U.P towards the West, stay at a CG that is right on the North end of  Lake Michigan,  near Manistique for at least 1 week, (probably 10 or 11 days), then head into Wisconsin to see Linda's brother, Glenn, (who lives way over on the Western edge of Wisconsin), before turning South and returning here to Rantoul, arriving back here sometime around the 10th of August.

Of course there are things that they want to see and places they want to go along the way, but I don't have all the details of that. I'll be sure to keep you posted on anything I find out though. ; )

Oh, and don't forget, all these plans are written in pencil, and Jim still has that big eraser, so everything is subject to change. ; )

A Point to Ponder : You need only two tools. WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.

Thanks, Dave.

Woof!!!

Record Breaking Weather, Still Not Feeling Well, A.S.A.P. and Dave And Dee Dee

DeBary, FL.

37 deg. clear, N. wind @ 10 mph.

Forecast = Today: Sunny. Highs around 63°F. North northwest wind to 13 MPH.
Tonight: Clear. Lows around 43°F. Wind chill around 39°F. North wind 5 to 11 MPH.

Did you see what the temperature is down here in DeBary?  Yep, that's no misprint, Jim's thermometer, which seems to be very accurate is showing 37 degrees and there's more time for the temperature to drop yet before the sun comes up!!!! I wouldn't be at all surprised if the temperature would drop another 2 or 3  degrees!!!!

Except for the record breaking low temperatures, not much else has been happening here. Linda is still not feeling well, and Jim is not yet up to full speed. Jim adjusted the air pressure in Bobbie T's tires and re-arranged things in the back of CLT.

OH, the other day, Jim noticed some water on the floor, near the tub, in Bobbie T's bathroom. he wiped it up and took off an inspection panel. He said that it looked like a water line fitting was leaking, but he couldn't see for sure. Being that it would be a big hassle to make an appointment and take Bobbie T back to LaMesa, he decided to call Jack from A.S.A.P Mobile RV Repairs, who does a lot of RV Repair work here in DeBary and the surrounding area.

Jack was very busy but he was able to come yesterday morning where he found a couple of problems. It seems as someone else has tried to find this leak and had replaced some of the pipe with improper fittings and pipe, so he changed that. He also found the real problem, which was a plastic elbow that had a pinhole leak and only leaked when it got hot from the hot water going through it to the tub/shower faucet.

Jack was very good and in no time he had the problems repaired at a very reasonable cost. He cleaned everything up and suggested that Jim leave the inspection panel off for a day or so to let everything dry out under the tub.

If you're ever in the area and need some repairs on your RV, (no engine or chassis work), give Jack a call at 386-775-7423, He's one of the "good guys" and will do good work at a very fair price. : )

Very soon, Jim and Linda are going to need to get some groceries. They're out of some of the essentials so even if Linda isn't up to it yet, Jim will probably go to the store and buy them. The laundry basket is full, so the laundry needs to be done, so they really need to go over to the house to do it.

Hopefully, Linda will be feeling a little better today, so they can get at least some of it done.

Oh!!!! Jim got an e-mail from Dave. If you remember, he and Dee Dee were heading back to Illinois and the weather forecast wasn't good at all!!! Well, they made it, but had all kinds of problems. They had snow packed roads, very heavy snow, 10" of unplowed snow once they got off of the Interstate near their home in Central Illinois, almost getting stuck with their truck and 5th wheel trailer crossing the Illinois Central RR tracks and getting the trailer backed into their driveway, (which took almost an hour).

They're safe, but they can't use their car because the trailer is blocking the driveway. There's at least 10" of snow on the ground where the trailer needs to be parked and it's uphill, and they'll have to try to dig the snow out of the truck bed so that they can get to the things that they have stored in there.

Boy!!! Am I glad I'm in Florida where the temperature is now 36 degrees!!! ; )

Did you know that the greatest snowfall in a day was 75.8 inches in Silver Lake, Colorado; April 14-15, 1921?

Woof!!!!