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!!!

Visiting Friends and Travel To Moncure, NC

Moncure, NC

71 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms possible. High 79F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.


When I last posted, we were at the Creekwood Farm CG near Waynesville, NC. We left there about 10:40, after a 1 nights stay and continued Southeast on I-40.  Since we had already gone over the Smoky Mountains the day before, the driving became easier the farther we went. When we got to Asheville, we turned South and then East on I-26 to Columbus, NC where it again turned South and we continued East on US 74. 74 took us to Forest City, NC where we turned off on local roads and headed to Roland and Louise's house just outside of the city.

It was about 12:25 when we pulled into their driveway, so it took us just about an hour and 45 minutes to travel the 90 miles over there.

The next 4 days were spent visiting, eating, visiting, going to get fuel for Big RED, visiting, eating and just enjoying each others company. :-)

It was sure good to see Roland and Louise again and we're hoping we can see them some more, down in Florida this winter.

On Wednesday, the 28th, after hugs and handshakes, we left Roland and Louise's in Forest City at about 9:50 and headed North on US 64. 64 took us up to I-40 where we turned East and followed it over to Greensboro, NC where we turned off on I-73 and then I-85 until we came to US 421 where we turned SE. 421 brought us down to Siler City where we turned East on US 64 and followed it over to Pittsboro where we turned off on local roads which brought us here to Goodwin's RV Park near Moncure, NC.

Goodwin's is a small park and they now only rent sites to RVers who have reservations, so you can't just arrive and expect to get a site. They've been completely filled up every time we've been here.

Anyway, it was about 1:30 when we arrived, so it took us right at 3 hours and 40 minutes to travel the 211 miles over here.

Marc Goodwin, (the owner of the park), helped Jim get backed into the site, (which required a bit of maneuvering), and even helped Jim level Nora, (side to side), with boards that he had available. He's a really nice guy and it's one of the main reasons we continue to come back to this park. There is another park close to here that we've used, but it's nothing more than a gravel parking lot with hook-ups. Here, we have nice shady sites and quite a bit of space between most of them.

We like this park much better even though it is a little more expensive. ;-)

We'll be staying here for 2 weeks. Most days we'll be here during the daytime and will go to visit Mike and his family in the evenings. Of course on the weekends, we'll see more of them. :-)

Did you know that on this date in 1939 - "Captain Midnight" was heard for the first time on the Mutual Radio Network?


Woof!!!

Jim's 75th, Leaving Rantoul and The First 3 Days Of Travel

Waynesville, NC

55 deg. clear, no wind.

Forecast = Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 83F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.


Saturday, September the 17th, Jim and Linda took Big RED and headed to the Longhorn Steakhouse down in Champaign. You see, Sunday the 18th, was Jim's 75th birthday, but neither Jim nor Linda wanted to go on Sunday when it would be much more crowded at the restaurant. They both had very good steak dinners and really enjoyed themselves.

Then, on Sunday, Louise and Paul, (the campground hosts), had Jim and Linda over for a Pork chop farewell dinner, ( Louise didn't realize the it was Jim's birthday). The meal was great and the conversation even better. :-)

By Wednesday morning, Jim and Linda had everything packed up and ready to go, so after hugs and handshakes, we left Prairie Pines CG and headed East towards Indianapolis.

After following I-74 into Indiana, we took I-465 around to the South side of the city where we pulled into the Lake Haven RV Park. It took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to make the  135 mile trip over there. After arriving, Jim took a little nap and then he and Linda headed over to Linda's cousin's house for a visit.

It had been a year since they had visited with Mike and his wife, Sandy. Both Linda and Jim really enjoyed seeing them and hopefully they'll see them again next year.

Thursday, we left Indy and took I-465 the rest of the way around the South sided of the city where we picked up I-74, heading SE towards Cincinnati. Just before the city, we turned off on I-275 and followed it around to the South side of Cincinnati where we turned South on I-75. We then took 75 all the way down to Berea , KY where we pulled into the Walnut Meadow RV Park.

It was a long day for us, but Jim did well and by the end, we had traveled  235 miles in about 4 hours and 5 minutes.

The reason for coming to Berea was to stop and see Linda's other cousin, Rick and to meet his new friend Barb. Rick went through a nasty divorce a few years ago, and everyone is really happy that he found someone he really seems to enjoy being with.

Anyway, Jim, Linda, Rick and Barb went to the local Cracker Barrel Restaurant where they all enjoyed the good food and the great conversations. Then, after the meal, Rick took everyone back to his apartment where he surprised Jim with a belated Birthday cake and ice cream for desert!!!

Afterwords, they all sat around visiting and catching up on what has been happening the last few years since they last saw each other. It was good seeing Rick again and he seems much happier now that he has met Barb, who seems like a very nice lady.

Yesterday morning, we left Berea and continued South on I-75, down to Knoxville. Just North of Knoxville, we turned East on I-640. We followed it around to the East side of the city where we picked up I-40. 40 then took us first East and then South down here to Waynesville, NC where we turned off on US 276 and followed it a few miles here to the Creekwood Farms RV Park.It was about 12:55 by the time we arrived and so we had traveled another 223 miles in about 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Another long day for us. :-(

Today the plan is to head down to Forest City, NC to visit Jim and Linda's very good friends, Roland and Louise. Long time followers of this blog will know that Roland and Louise have been very good friends for many years and they always enjoy being together and catching up on what has happened since their last meeting.

We'll be staying at their place, out in the country, for 4 nights before heading to the Raleigh area to see Jim's son  Mike and his family. 

Did you know that on this date in  1977 - "The Love Boat" debuted on ABC-TV?

Woof!!!

It's Been Awhile Again

Rantoul, IL.

82 deg. clear, NE wind @ 3 mph.

Forecast tonight = Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow = Partly cloudy in the morning followed by scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 87F. Winds light and variable.

It's been awhile again and I hope I can remember what's all happened since I last posted.

Let's see now!!! On the 19th, Linda had appointment with her primary care doctor. All went well and except for still having to get a blood test, (scheduled for this Friday), she was given a good report.

On the 21st, Jeff, (Jim's son from Portand, OR.) called to say that he and Heather would be flying to Illinois for a short visit and that he and Heather would like to come here to the CG on the 12th of September to visit!!!! It's been about 4 years since we've seen them, so it'll be really great to see them, even if it is for only part of 1 day!!!!

On the 23rd, Jim had an appointment at Dr. Gandhi's office to get a scan of his optic nerves preformed. Since then he has heard from the Dr.'s office that all is well, and his glaucoma seems to be under control.

On the 25th, Jim and Linda took Big RED and headed up to Peotone, IL to see Denny and Bev, (part of the "Illinois Bunch"). They have decided to sell their Winnebago Brave Motorhome because of health problems that will not allow them to travel anymore. :-(  That's too bad, we've always enjoyed their visits here to the CG when we were here. They really enjoyed seeing them again and are looking forward to seeing them again in years to come.

The weather around here hasn't been too great!! :-( We've had temperatures in the upper 80's to low 90's with high humidity. When it wasn't too hot to sit outside, the bugs would drive you inside, either that or it was raining, with lots of thunder and lightning. In fact it's rained so much that we're close to setting a rainfall record for the month of August in Illinois.

The weather guessers are saying that the weather should improve for the upcoming Labor Day weekend though. As of Thursday they're forecasting cooler temps and lower humidity and are guessing that it will stay pretty nice throughout the holiday.  

I hope so!!!!

That pretty much brings us up-to-date. Dave and Dee Dee, (another part of the "Illinois Bunch" are planning on coming here to the CG on or about the 8th of September. That should be fun.

Jim has been working on a trip plan for when we leave here and head, first out East and then down to Florida. It now looks like we'll be leaving here on the 21st of September, getting to Mike's, (near Raleigh), on the 28th, Joe's (in Virginia Beach), on the 13th of October, Myrtle Beach on the 26th and arriving back at the house on or about the 1st of November.

As always, this is all written in pencil and yes, Jim still has the big eraser!! ;-)


Did you know that the first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union? The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

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!!!

Did You Miss Me?

Moncure, NC.

47 deg. light rain, W. wind @ 4 MPH.

Forecast = Cloudy with periods of rain. High 53F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch.


Yeah, I know it's been a long time since I posted!!! Not a whole lot to report though.

The weather hasn't been too co-operative with rain off and on most of the week causing outdoor plans to be put by the wayside. Take for instance the first Saturday that we were here.

Mike and Dillon came out here to Goodwin's RV park to have a cook-out. Well, Jim cooked the hamburgers out on the grill, staying under the awning, cause it was raining quite hard, but they all came inside to eat as the picnic table was getting wet by the time the burgers were cooked. :-{

Most evenings, Big RED has taken Jim and Linda over to Mike and Gina's where they enjoyed nice meals and great visiting with the family. Brenna. Savanna and Dillon are into a lot of things, so many evenings, Gina took one or more of them to their different activities.

All in all, it's been a good visit though. There's been a lot of time to catch up on what's been happening during the summer and to see how much all of the kids have grown or matured since we were here in the spring.

During the days, Jim and Linda have spent most of the time out here at the CG. One day they went to the Kroger's store in Pittsboro to get groceries and another day to Walgreen's. but other than that, not much else. On days where Mike and Gina were busy, they just hung around here, with Jim cooking out a couple of times.

We were scheduled to leave here today, but all the weather guessers were predicting lots of rain for both here and our next stop in S. Carolina for today, so that yesterday, Jim decided that it would be best if we just stayed here one more day.

So,  ,  ,  , ,  the plan is to leave here tomorrow and head down into SC. Then, down to Georgia and Florida during the next few days, getting down to DeBary Friday or Saturday.

Oh, here's a few photos of the CG that Jim took one sunny morning.

Our site.

The entrance road into the CG

Another view of our site. You can just see the tops of other RVs on the lower level behind Nora.

A Quote to Ponder:

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”

Abraham Lincoln

Woof!!!

Visiting With Joe And Nancy and Getting Ready To Move On South

Virginia Beach, VA.

66 deg. overcast, wind ESE at 7 mph.

Forecast = Variable clouds and becoming windy with thunderstorms, especially this morning. High 77F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 80%.


Not a whole lot to report. Jim and Linda have been visiting with Joe and Nancy almost every evening and enjoying the great meals that Nancy has prepared. Monday, Jim took one of Nora's propane tanks and had it filled at the local U-Haul. On the way, he stopped at a Pep Boy's Automotive Store and picked up some fuses for the thermostat, and on the way back, stopped at a gas station and filled Big RED's tank with that good old #2 diesel fuel.

We've really enjoyed our stay here in Virginia Beach, visiting with Joe and Nancy, but it's time to move on South. So, tomorrow morning, we'll head down into North Carolina where the plan is to stop for the night at Pierce Mobile Estates and Travel Trailer Park in Williamston to dump Nora's tanks and then continue on to  Goodwin's RV Campground in Moncure, NC on Friday, where we'll stay for about a week so that Jim and Linda can visit with Mike and Gina and see grand-kids, Brenna, Savanna and Dillon.

 The last few days have been overcast with rain off and on, thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Patricia, and the weather guessers are forecasting more rain for most of today and tonight. However, they're guessing that tomorrow, (Thursday), should be a nice day and should be dry and sunny, with light winds, which will be good for hooking up and traveling. :-)


Did you know that Virginia Beach  is the largest city in Virginia by total area?

Woof!!!

West Virginia To Virginia And On To Virginia Beach and More Problems

Virginia Beach, VA.

55 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Sunny, High 68F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.


We left the Summer Wind CG at 9:50 Tuesday morning and continued East on I-64 until we came to Exit 169 (US 219) at Lewisburg. Following 219 South for about 2 1/2 miles brought us to Loudermilk Trailer & RV Sales, where Chris is the general manager. It was about 10:15 when we arrived.

Chris was waiting for us and directed us around to the rear of the business and into a spot where there was an electric hook-up to plug Nora in so that he could check the A/C as well as the furnace operation with the new Thermostat. Everything went well and everything worked with the new thermostat so by about 10:55 we were heading North on US 219.

Once back to I-64 we again turned East and followed it into Virginia and to US 220 at Cliftondale  Park, where we turned South. US 220 brought us down to Roanoke, VA. where we again turned East on US 460. Following 460 brought us to Appomattox, VA and the Parkview RV Park.

It was right at 2:00 when we arrived, so it took us 4 hours and 10 minutes to get Nora's thermostat installed, stop at a station in Virginia to get Big RED a drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel and travel 178 miles.

We've been to the Parkview RV Park before and I don't remember all the noisy traffic on US 460 as well as Rt. 24 at all times of the day and night. I also don't think that the park was as well maintained as it used to be, but still is OK for an overnight stay. Kind of expensive though at $35.10, (after the Good Sam discount), for a full hook-up site with absolutely no other amenities.

It got pretty chilly Tuesday evening, so Jim turned the furnace on. Everything went well for about an hour and a half or so, with the furnace cycling on and off like it should, but then, it quit!!!!!!  Yep, blew a fuse in the new thermostat!!!!!

Wednesday morning before we left Appomattox, Jim called Chris and told him that the new thermostat had also blown the fuse and to ask him if he had any other ideas of what might be causing it to happen. Chris said that he would call the manufacturer and see if they had any ideas and call Jim back. Jim said that we'd be on the road, traveling, so that he would call him back when we got to our destination instead.

So, we left the Parkview RV Park at 9:55 and continued East on US 460. 460 took us over to Suffolk and then to the Norfolk / Chesapeake area where we turned off on I-64 which took us around to Virginia Beach where we turned East on I-264. At exit #20, we turned off of 264 and then took local roads for about 2 miles to Joe and Nancy's house, arriving about 1:40 after traveling a total of 195 miles in 3 hours and 45 minutes.

The plan is to stay here in VB for about a week before heading to North Carolina to see Mike and Gina, in the Raleigh area. However, a lot will depend on the weather and the furnace as to when we'll need to head further South to stay warm.

Oh, speaking of the furnace, Jim called Chris back and he said that the only thing that he and the tech,  that he spoke to, could come up with was a possible short in the wire that goes, first up to the Air Conditioner, and then down to the furnace. :-(

Did you know that on this date in 1930 - J.K. Scott won the first miniature golf tournament? The event was held in Chattanooga, TN.

Woof!!!

Mike And Terri Stop By

Rantoul, IL.

66 deg. clear, NW wind @ 9 mph.

Forecast =  Abundant sunshine. High 87F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.


Mike and Terri Young arrived here at Prairie Pines Campground about the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday. Jim waked over to the office and said "Hi" to Mike before Louise led Mike to their site, across the street and down nearer the road that goes in front of the park. Mike and Terri wanted a site where they could access the CG wi-fi and the access is much better down there.

We can get on the CG wi-fi here in site #23 most time, but not always. And, the further down the street you are from here, the weaker the signal gets.

Anyway, Mike and Terri got their rig into their site, and as soon as they finished setting up, they came over and visited for a couple hours. :-) While they were here visiting, it was decided that going out to eat was a good idea and then decided that they'd head over to Fisher, Il. to the Blue Star Restaurant.

After about 1/2 an hour, Jim and Linda took Big RED and picked Mike and Terri up at their site and then headed to the Blue Star where they had very nice meals and great conversations.

Upon returning here to the CG, Big RED dropped Mike and Terri off at their site and then brought Jim and Linda back here to our site.

Yesterday, Mike and Terri had laundry to do and errands to run, so we didn't see too much of them during the day. It was decided though, that they would again go out to eat for dinner, and that they would go to Monical's Pizza.

So, about 5:30 Big RED again took Jim and Linda down to Mike and Terri's, picked them up and took them to Monical's here in Rantoul. I know where Monical's is and it isn't that far from here, but they were gone quite a while, so I expect that there was a lot of talking going on before and after their meals. ;-)

Jim snapped this photo of Terri and Mike at the Restaurant.

Mike and Terri will be leaving here today. They're heading up to Freeport, IL. to see family and friends. It sure was good of them to stop by and visit for awhile and I hope we'll get to meet up with them again in the near future.

Did you know that a dragonfly flaps its wings 20 to 40 times a second, bees and houseflies 200 times, some mosquitoes 600 times, and a tiny gnat 1,000 times?

Safe travels, Mike and Terri!!!

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!!!

A Drive On The "Parkway", Two Dinners, Saying Good-by and A Little Shopping

Marion, NC.

61 deg. mostly clear, no wind.

Forecast = Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 82F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.


After Linda woke up and had her breakfast, Wednesday morning, the discussion of what she and Jim were going to do came up and even though the weather looked "iffy", they decided to take Big RED and head up to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Once up there the weather turned out to be really nice with mixed sun and clouds with the temperatures in the low to mid 70;s.

Jim decided to take NC Rt. 80 up there and Big RED said that it was an "interesting" drive with most of it being a very narrow 2 land road with lots of steep hills, curves and switch-backs all along the route. :-O  Once up on the "Parkway" though, the road was wider with fewer hills and curves and Big RED said that he really enjoyed the drive. :-)

There are places that you can pull off of the parkway that are called "Scenic Overlooks" and one of the first ones they came to was this Black Mountain Overlook. The photos don't really show it, but I understand that it was a long way down to the bottom of the valley and it was very pretty.

Just before they exited the Blue Ridge Parkway, they came upon a Motorcycle accident. It looked like the cycle had run off the road at a curve. There were other cyclist attending to the injured man, but Jim was able to use the GPS to tell them exactly where they were on the Parkway so they could inform the 911 operator that they had called. It didn't look like the driver was hurt too bad, but one of the other cyclist said that he had a lot of "road rash" and was bleeding pretty bad. :-(

I hope he'll be OK, His beautiful full-dress motorcycle didn't look to good though. :-(

After they returned, Jim took a nap and Linda did some more embroidery work.

Around 6:00 Jim and Linda headed over to the pavilion where they had a tasty meal of hamburgers, hot dogs mac and cheese all the fixin's and a brownie for desert. It was served buffet style, so you could pick and choose what you wanted. Then after eating they headed over to the bonfire that Howard had just lit and sat and talked until it started getting "buggy" and chilly.

Yesterday, Jim and Linda were sitting out under the awhing talking to Pat and Jim from next door when Linda Payne, stopped by for a little while and joined the conversation. That was nice and unexpected because she and Howard have so much "Rally Stuff" to do to keep everything going smoothly.

After lunch, Jim and Linda took Big RED and headed over to the Tom Johnson RV Center store where Jim bought a new fitting for his sewer hose. It's the one that screws into the fitting at the CG and the old one he's using now is getting all weathered from age. He's afraid that one of these days it's just going to fall apart.

For dinner, Jim and Linda decided to go out to eat. Dennis and Char had told them about a place called "FATZ" that they had been to, so they headed over there and had excellent fish and chips meals at a very reasonable price. :-)

By the time they returned here to the park, it had started to rain off and on, so they came inside and watched TV.

A little later, Dennis and Char stopped by to say good-by. They're needing to head back down to Texas where they work-camp at a State Park, and will be leaving early this morning. It was really nice of them to stop by. It's too bad that they had to leave the Rally early. Jim and Linda have really enjoyed seeing them again.

Hopefully we'll be seeing them again some day.

Not much planned for today. Big RED needs a drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel and Linda has a letter ready to mail, so I suppose they'll do those things.

Did you know that the Blue Ridge Parkway is America's longest linear park and covers a distance of 469 miles?

Woof!!!

Last Days In Forest City

Forest City, NC

65 deg. overcast, no wind.

Forecast = Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 82F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.


Our time here in Forest City is coming to an end. It's been really great seeing Roland and Louise again, and once again, the visit has gone by too quickly. There's been a lot of visiting and renewing of their friendships, some great meals that Louise put together and a nice meal at a local Seafood Restaurant yesterday evening.

I don't think that there's anything special planned for today, probably just more visiting. Roland talked about maybe going to a Harbor Freight store, but no specific plans were made.

Oh!! Jim took a few photos yesterday.

This first one is of a view from the road. That large roll up door used to be where Roland and Louise's motor home, "Big Herb" used to stay during the summer when in this area. I miss Big Herb, but he now lives with a very nice couple who are able to full-time and I'm sure he's happier than he was sitting in a storage lot or in this garage most of the year, since Roland and Louise can't travel much anymore.

This photo was taken looking towards the North from the driveway. Can you see those mountains in the center of the photo? (You can click on the photo to enlarge it to see it better). Up there somewhere is where we'll be going to the rally. :-)

As much as Jim and Linda have enjoyed visiting with Roland and Louise, they're really getting excited about heading to the RV-Dreams Rally in Marion, NC. Jim checked the GPS and it looks like it's only about 35 or so miles up there and the little gal, "Tilly", that lives inside of the GPS is telling him that it should take less than an hour to get up there.

Tomorrow morning, (Friday), we'll be leaving here and heading up there. We'll probably be getting there somewhere between 10:30 and 11:30.

Did you know that Memorial Day was first called “Decoration Day” because of the practice of decorating soldier’s graves with flower?

Woof!!!

Mike and Dillon Visit and A Lily For Linda

Moncure, NC.

66 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 92F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.

I was a little worried Sunday morning as the weather guessers were forecasting a 100% chance of rain for the day and I knew that Mike and some of his family were coming out here to the CG for the afternoon.

But, as I've said before, "Worrying works. 90% of what I worry about, never happens!!!", and the afternoon turned out to be beautiful with only a few small showers passing through.  ;-) And, being that Jim had the awning out and chairs set up under it, everyone managed to stay dry while enjoying the temperatures in the middle 70's with a little breeze blowing.

Gina, Brenna and Savanna didn't come, (they went to Gina's mom's house for Mother''s day), but Mike and Dillon came out here for about 3 hours during the afternoon.

Dillon is 7 years old now and he's at that age when boys seem to just grow like weeds. :-) I think he grows at least 6 inches in between each of our visits!!!

I think he's going to be tall, just like his dad and grandfather who are both around the 6'4" mark.

Mike and Dillon also brought Linda this beautiful potted plant for Mother's Day.

It's called a Calla Lily and Linda was thrilled that they gave it to her!!

Not a whole lot happened around here yesterday. It got up to 88 degrees here at the CG and the humidity was right up there too. Today, the weather guessers are forecasting the first 90 degree day for this year, but there's supposed to be a cold front coming through in the afternoon which will cool things down.

I sure hope that cold front doesn't bring any severe storms along with it.

Then, the plan is to go over to Mike and Gina's for dinner and to visit for awhile this evening. Jim and Linda won't stay too long though, because the "kids" start getting ready for bed at about 7:30 or so.

Did you know that May is "National Hamburger Month"?

Woof!!!

Relaxing, Visiting, and Some Nasty Weather

Virginia Beach, VA.

50 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Sunny. High 68F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.

Not much to report, but I thought I'd check in so you knew that I was still kicking!! ;-)

The last 4 days have been spent relaxing and visiting with Joe, Nancy and Amber when they weren't working or going to school. They've mostly spent time with them in the evenings, although some days Joe works from home, so he wanders out here to visit for a little while if he isn't busy. They've eaten some meals with them, but not every evening as sometimes Nancy doesn't get home from work until late.

It's rained here the last 2 days. Yesterday was especially nasty with heavy rain, temperatures around 50 and 20 to 25 mph winds with up to 35 mph gusts!!! There was a front move through the area last night though, and except for temperatures in the 60's today, they're forecasting great weather with highs in the mid to upper 70's, no rain and lots of sunshine for the whole next week. ;-)

The plan is to leave here on Thursday and re-trace our route back to Williamston where we'll stay for one night so that Jim can dump Nora's tanks. Then on Friday, we'll head over to the Raleigh, NC  area, to see Mike and his family.

Did you know that the first peanuts grown in the United States were grown in Virginia?

Woof!!!

A Little Busier and Visiting With Glenn, Jeanette, Laura and Lindsey

DeBary, FL.

52 deg.  mostly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs around 73°F. Light wind. Chance of precipitation 70 percent. New precipitation amounts from one quarter to one half of an inch possible.


It's been a little more busy around here since my last post. Thursday evening, Jim and Linda decided that they wanted Pizza for dinner, so Linda called, (Who else)? Gentile's Pizza and ordered a medium pizza for Jim to pick up. The pizza was ready by the time Jim got to the pizza place and in no time he was backing Big RED back into the car port. :-)

Also on Thursday, Laura called and asked Linda if she'd like to go to see the latest Hobbit movie ( The Battle Of The 5 Armies), that was playing down in Sanford? Linda said that she'd like to see it, so Friday afternoon, Laura swung by, picked Linda up and they headed over there.

Linda said that she and Laura really enjoyed it, and by about 5;00 or so, Laura was dropping Linda back off here at the house.

Saturday was spent sprucing up the house in anticipation of  Glenn and Jeanette coming on Sunday. You know, things like cleaning the bathrooms, straightening things up, dusting and vacuuming.

Sunday, Linda got up early, (about 7:00 AM), and put all the ingredients in the crock pot for the pot roast dinner she had planned. After getting it all together and turned on, she laid back down on the bed and slept some more. I always like it when Linda makes a pot roast, it always smells s o o o o o good! ;-)

The weather was just about perfect for Glenn and Jeanette's visit yesterday, with temps in the middle 70's, lots of sunshine and light winds. Much better than the close to 0 and below temps they've had up in Wisconsin this winter. When Glenn and Jeanette arrived about 3:00 they commented about how great the weather was. :-) Then, after h and h, (hugs and handshakes), and a tour of the house, everyone visited and caught up on what's been happening since they had seen each other, back in July of 2013.

Laura and Lindsey arrived around 4;00 and after more h and h, everyone visited some more.

Jim took this photo of Linda, Laura and Lindsey sitting on the couch

 and then Laura took this one of Jim , Linda, Glenn and Jeanette.

The meal went off without a hitch and everyone seemed to really enjoy the dinner Linda prepared. After eating and getting everything cleaned up, there was more visiting until around 8:00. Glenn and Jeanette were tired after a long day and Laura and Lindsey headed home because Lindsey has to get up real early to go to work over by Daytona Beach this morning.

After everyone left, Linda and Jim cleaned up and moved the table back next to the wall. Then they watched TV and fooled around with the computers until bedtime.

It was a very good day, and Linda and Jim really enjoyed seeing Glenn and Jeanette again and having them and Laura and Lindsey over for dinner and to visit.. If everything works out, we may be able to see them again this summer, on our way back from Oregon. ;-)

Did you know that on this date in 1969 - The Boeing 747 flew its inaugural flight?

Woof!!!

Visiting and A Linda Update

Moncure, NC.

42 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = High 68F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. 0% chance of rain.

Jim and Linda have been taking Big RED and heading over to Mike and Gina's house almost every day. Mike gets home from work a little after 5 most days, so they try to get there around 5:30. After eating a meal together, they visit until around 7:30 to 8:00, when Brenna, Savanna and Dillon start to get ready for bed.

During the day, Jim and Linda do "normal" stuff around here.

Yesterday, the kids were all busy with lessons of one kind or another, so Linda baked a small ham in Nora's oven, cooked some green beans and heated up some buttered french bread that was starting to get a little stale. It sure did smell good inside of Nora and evidently, it tasted real good too!! ;-)

Linda seems to be doing better all the time. She had some dizzy spells Tuesday, but the days she has them have been getting farther apart and fewer.  She still doesn't have a whole lot of energy, but that seems to be getting better also.

It's a slow recovery process.

Did you know that Krispy Kreme Doughnut was founded in Winston-Salem, NC?

Woof!!!

Dickens RV Park and A Visit With Mike, Gina And Family

Moncure, NC

38 deg clear, no wind.

Forecast = Partly cloudy. High 69F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

The  Dickens RV Park is really a nice park but it just doesn't have the features that Jim and Linda would prefer.

This is the sign you see from the road.

As you enter the park these are some of the sites that you see off to your left.

Straight ahead is the bath house/laundry to the right and the owners house to the left.

Off to the right you see the larger section of the campground sites.

As you can see, there's no grass or trees in the RV site areas.

There is grass between some of the rows of sites and some trees in those areas, but basically the whole park is just covered with large gravel.

But, Kent, the owner is very friendly and helpful and so is Marty, the manager. The park is within about 20 to 30 minutes from Mike and Gina's house, so for 10 or 12 days, it'll do nicely.

Speaking of Mike and Gina, Jim and Linda finally got to see them yesterday. You see, because the kids didn't have school on Thursday or Friday, Mike and Gina had made plans to go to Williamsburg, VA this past Thursday through Sunday before they knew when we were going to be here. Jim and Linda knew that and told them to call when they returned.

Well, yesterday afternoon, (about 3:00 or so), Mike called, said that they had just returned, and wanted to know if Jim and Linda could come over for a couple hours? Well, it didn't take Jim and Linda long to get ready and in just a little while, Big RED was taking them over there. ;-)

It sounds like they had a very nice visit, but because everyone still had a lot of unpacking to do and the kids had to get everything ready for school today, around 5:30, they left and headed back here to the park.

Both Jim and Linda said that it was really good to see everyone. They had a very nice visit and plans were made to go back over there this evening.

Did you know that North Carolina is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the nation?

Woof!!!

Walton To Berea KY and Visiting With Rick And His Family

Berea, KY.

46 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast =  Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Highs around 73°F. Light wind. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.


Because we had a short way to go and had a long time to get there, we didn't leave the Oak Creek Campground near Walton, KY until about 10 minutes before 11:00. Once back on I-75 we followed it South down to Lexington and Richmond to Berea, KY where we pulled into the Walnut Meadow CG and RV Park.

This park has never had very good reviews, but in my opinion, the owners have made a very good effort to get the place looking better. We've been stopping by here since 2001 and continue to return every time we're in the area.

The area by the office has been cleaned up,

the grass has been mowed and weeds removed

and all in all, I think it's a pretty good place to stay for only $20 per night!!!

The folks who run the park are supper nice, lead you to your site and any time we've been here they're willing to help in any way they can.

It was 12:30 when we pulled up in front of the office so we had traveled 103  miles in about an hour and 40 minutes.

Around 3:00 or so, Linda called Rick and left a message on his voice mail, telling him that we're in the Campground and to give us a call when he got off work.  While waiting for Rick to call back, Jim took a nap fooled around with the computer and helped Linda clean up the inside of Nora a little.

A little after 5:00, Rick called and after finding out where we were in the park, came and visited. Then a little after 6:00, Jim, Linda and Rick took Rick's car and headed over to the Cracker Barrel Restaurant where they met up with Rick's son Corey, his wife and their 2 children.

Either they ate a lot of food or they talked a lot because they were gone for quite awhile. :-)  Eventually, Rick brought Jim and Linda back here to the CG. Then, after h and h, Rick headed home.

It sure was good to see Rick again. It had been over 2 years since Linda had seen him and all through this last year when Linda was fighting her cancer, Rick called often to offer his support.

Today we'll be heading to North Carolina where Jim has made a reservation at a RV park near Waynesville. The reason he made the advance reservation is that we're now getting into the "leaf peeper" season and there are lots of folks coming to the Smoky Mountain area to see the colors.

So, today will be a fairly long travel day. It's around 200 miles over there, we'll have to deal with the Knoxville traffic and then the Smoky Mountains before we get there.

Did you know that Bluegrass is not really blue--its green--but in the spring bluegrass produces bluish purple buds that when seen in large fields give a blue cast to the grass. Today Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State.

Woof!!!

Another Fine Meal and Christmas Shopping?

Rantoul, IL

58 deg. clear, NE wind @ 3 mph.
Forecast =  Mostly sunny. Highs around 82°F. Light wind.

Friday evening, Jim and Linda were again invited to a meal over at Paul and Louise's site. Louise was having steak sandwiches and some of their friends here in the park were bringing other dishes. So, Linda put together a fruit salad and about 5:30, they headed over there. ;-)

The first thing on the agenda was to light the campfire,

so that everyone could gather around to talk and enjoy the beverage of their choice. ;-)

While Louise was getting the table with all the food that people had brought set up,

Paul was relaxing and enjoying a drink while talking to the folks who had already arrived.

Larry, cooked the steaks and then he and Louise put them on "French" style bread. The rest of the meal consisted of a potato dish, corn, deviled eggs, and Linda's fruit salad. Oh, and I almost forgot, Chocolate Pie!!! :-)

Both Jim and Linda said that everything was delicious and it was great visiting with everyone.

Thanks again, Paul and Louise!!!!

Yesterday, Big RED took Jim and Linda down to Champaign to go Christmas shopping!!! Yep, you read that right!!! Christmas shopping!!!

Linda had been wanting to go and get a head start on shopping for the holiday, but it just hadn't worked out before now. So, yesterday they bought a whole bunch of stuff, and in fact, probably about 75% of the gifts that they'll buy this year have been purchased.

Now, that's a good head start!!!! ;-)

Awhile back, Louise had given Jim and Linda a 1/2 rack of ribs that had been cooked and frozen. Well, yesterday evening, (after thawing them), Linda wrapped them in foil and put them in the oven for about an hour. Wow!!! Did they ever smell good!!! And, by what Jim and Linda said, as they were eating them for dinner, they were just as good as they smelled!! :-)

Those ribs along with a vegetable and some of Linda's fruit salad, made a very tasty meal indeed!!!

Another big Thanks, Louise!! :-)

No big plans for today. Jim has already started checking things on Nora in anticipation for our upcoming departure on the 6th. Linda has a list of things to buy at Walgreen's, so they may do that today.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens. ;-)

Did you know that  approximately 37.2% of Americans begin holiday shopping by Halloween?

Woof!!!

A Little Break and Big RED Goes To The Big City

Rantoul, IL.

deg.
Forecast =

Yeah, I know, I haven't posted for awhile, but there hasn't been much to post about. Besides that, my little paws get tired, trying to find the right keys to press, so I needed a little break! ;-)

We've had a lot of wind here lately, so Jim didn't go out much. Linda wasn't feeling real well Sunday and Monday, so she didn't feel like doing too much. Monday Jim took Big RED to the gas station and bought him a drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel and then headed down to the Farm & Fleet store on this side of Urbana.

Jim didn't have anything special that he wanted to buy, but it's a neat store and he just wanted to go. Well, he did end up buy a few things. One of the main things he found was a Coleman Deck Chair, that was in the seasonal close-out section at quite a reduced price! :-) He has one of these chairs and really likes it, but it's getting pretty old, so he's been looking for a new one.

Big RED said that Jim spent close to an hour, just wandering around in the store.

Later Monday evening, Jim cooked a ham steak out on the grill and Linda cooked some of the last of the sweetcorn-on-the-cob inside.

Yesterday, Big RED took Jim and Linda up to Naperville, IL to see Linda's sister, Nancy. Big RED said that it was a long drive up there, (about 135 miles), with lots of traffic the closer he got to the Chicago metro area,

 but Nancy and Linda and had a great time visiting and catching up on the past year's happenings. :-)

About noon, Nancy took Linda and Jim out to lunch at a family restaurant and then they returned to Nancy's apartment and talked some more. About 3:00, Big RED started the trip back down here and was surprised at how much more traffic there was on the way back. (Probably people getting off work by that time.)  They also had 2 construction areas, so that added to the traffic problem.

But, by 6:00 Big RED was pulling into his parking spot here at Prairie Pines where he rested after his trip to the big city.

Linda said that it was really good to see Nancy again. A lot has happened in the last year, and it was good to finally catch up. ;-)

Jim and Linda still haven't done the laundry. They'll have to go pretty soon, or they won't have anything to wear!!!! :-O

Did you know that The population of the Chicago CSA (Combined Statistical Area) is over 9.9 million people?

Woof!!!