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.

A Nice Labor Day Weekend and Gatting Ready For Company

Rantoul, IL.

74 deg. clear, SW wind @ 7 mph.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Woof!!!!

 

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!!!

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!!!

More RVing Friends Coming To Visit and Linda's New Hat

Rantoul, IL.

52 deg, clear, no wind.
Forecast =  Partly cloudy. Highs around 79°F. East southeast wind to 5 MPH.

At an RV RV Dreams Rally, quite a few years ago, Jim and Linda met a couple named Hank and Selene.  Well, after sending some messages back and forth, and since they are traveling through this area, they've decided to stop here at Prairie Pines for awhile. :-)  Mike and Terri also know them, so it should be a fun time. ;-)

Oh, speaking of Mike and Terri, I forgot to mention this yesterday. Most of you know that Linda had chemo treatments for her cancer. Well, you probably also know that chemo makes all of your hair fall out. Linda has been wearing some knit hats that she got from the American Cancer Society and they are very nice, but she only has a few of them that she likes. Well, the other night when Mike and Terri went to the Apple Dumplin' Restaurant with Jim and Linda, Terri gave Linda a really nice knit hat that she made!

That was really nice of Terri. Linda wore the hat most of yesterday and really likes it. Thank You Terri!!!! :-)

Hank and Selene should be arriving sometime this afternoon. The family with the 5th wheel that was in the site right next to us left yesterday and I'm thinking that Louise may put them in that site when they get here.

Did you know that  one of the earliest known examples of true knitting was cotton socks with stranded knit color patterns found in Egypt from the end of the first millennium AD?

Woof!!!

We're Camping!!!!!

DeBary, FL.
Highbanks Marina and Camp Resort

66 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Sunny skies this morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. High 86F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Tuesday morning, Jim and Linda started gathering more things to take over to the trailer at Highbanks. I figured that they were serious about staying for awhile in the trailer when Linda gathered up all her medicine, Jim took the pillows off of the bed, they packed up changes of clothes and they started packing up food, like bread and lunch meat that they need every day.

By early afternoon, they were locking up the house and we were all packed up and on our way. ;-)

Once they had everything put away, Jim opened the awning, got out the lawn chairs and grabbed his camera.

From the vacant site next to us.

He took this photo from the rear. I don't know if you can tell or not, but the slide-out room is quite deep on this RV. it extends about 32". The slides on Bobbie T were only 18" deep and on Emrys 24"

We must be staying awhile, Jim put out his flags. :-)

While he had the camera out, he snapped this photo of Big RED too.

Yesterday, was spent just relaxing and re-organizing some of the "stuff" that they brought to the trailer. Laura stopped by for awhile in the morning to visit. Jim took a nap in the afternoon and then cooked burgers on the grill while Linda put salads together inside.

Today, Linda has an appointment at 1:00 to see to see the chemo doctor, (Dr. Saferali ). At that time she'll find out when she'll start treatments again. :-(  After the doctor's visit, they want to stop by the house to pick up the mail and a few items, and then stop by the store to buy milk and a few other things.

I don't know how long we'll be staying here at Highbanks. The site rent is paid until the 14th of May, so the trailer can stay here until then, but we won't be staying out here in it the whole time.

Oh Wow!!!! I just looked outside and it's getting very foggy here by the river. I wonder of it's foggy all over this area?

Haven't heard anything on TV about fog.

Did you know that the "Hamburger hall of fame" is located in Seymour, Wisconsin?

Woof!!!

Company and More Wheels?

DeBary, FL.

48 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast = Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High near 70F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.

Everything has been going well here. Linda's still having dizzy spells but she says that she thinks her energy is coming back and is basically feeling a little better.

Thursday, we had company in the afternoon. Dave and Dee Dee stopped by for a few hours while on their way to see some people in Orange City. Dave and Dee Dee are part of the "Illinois Bunch" and are the couple who had the fish fry over by Tampa back in February. Because of the rain and an accident in Orlando, they didn't get here until about 1:30 or so, but still were able to spend a good part of the afternoon here.

Thanks for stopping by, Dave and Dee Dee, it sure gave Linda's spirit a boost!!! :-)

Oh, and Dave, if you're reading this, Linda's been doing the "Dave Dance" before she gets up from sitting. ;-)

Linda's been using her new walker everywhere in the house and has used it to go out to the truck when she goes to her radiation therapy session. At the hospital though, (where the radiation therapy is), she uses a hospital wheel chair as it's really too far for her to walk.

And, speaking of wheelchairs, Jim was talking to a social worker at the hospital the other day, and she said that she thought she could get what they call a "mobility chair" for Linda to use. From what I understand, it's different than a regular wheelchair, but I don't know much else about it, except that a woman called on the phone yesterday and told Jim that they'd be delivering one here to the house this Monday.

Don't think that there's anything special happening this weekend. Laundry needs to be done and there's other normal "chores" to be done so I imagine  Jim and Linda will be doing that. They were also talking about going out to dinner tonight, so that may go to Gram's or someplace.

Did you know that today is International Fanny Pack Day?

Woof!!!

A Great Visit With Good Friends

DeBary, FL.

43 deg. light fog, no wind.
Forecast = Foggy early, becoming sunny this afternoon. High near 70F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Yesterday morning, Linda and Jim did that last load of laundry and then kicked back and relaxed for awhile. About 1:30 or so, Roland and Louise arrived and after h and h, (hugs and handshakes), they talked and talked the afternoon away. :-)

Roland and Louise were one of our first RVing friends. We met them way back in 2002 in a little CG in the panhandle of Florida. Jim and Roland hit it off right away and soon after, Linda and Louise became very good friends too. They weren't full-timers at that time, but soon after hearing about Jim and Linda's adventures, hit the road soon afterwards.

And, as they say, "The rest is history"!!! ;-)

After a nice afternoon of visiting, Jim and Roland headed over to Gentile's and picked up a couple small pizzas. After an enjoyable meal and more conversation they decided that it was time for them to head back home to their double-wide home in Frostproof.

So, after more h and h, they headed for home. :-(

It sure was great to see them again. Both Jim and Linda always enjoy visiting with them. Hopefully we'll get to see them again sometime soon.

Did you know that the average person only has only 4 or 5 "close friends"?

Woof!!!

Laundry and Company Coming?

DeBary, FL.

38 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 67F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.

Yep!!! Just like I thought, Linda and Jim did laundry yesterday. They did 3 loads and there's still another one to do!! (I told you that the hamper was bulging at the seams)!  ;-)

So, today, they'll probably do that last load and then spend the afternoon visiting with our company.

Oh!!! Didn't I tell you?  - - - - - - - Louise called yesterday afternoon and asked if it would be OK for her and Roland to come visit today! Of course, Linda and Jim said that they'd really like to see them, so the plan is for them to come sometime early this afternoon and spend the afternoon and possibly the early evening.

Roland and Louise have been such good friends over the years and it's always great to see them and catch up on what's been happening.

I really don't have much else to write about. It's been pretty slow around here, so I guess I'll end this post. Hope all of you are well and staying warm during this latest cold snap that most of the U.S. is experiencing.

A Point to Ponder : Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.

Woof!!!

A Busy Place

DeBary, FL.

72 deg. partly cloudy, SW wind @ 8 mph.
Forecast =

High of 82F. Winds from the SW at 10 to 15 mph shifting to the NW in the afternoon. Chance of rain 60%. This has been a busy place for the last few days. Thursday, a little after noon, Joe got here from Virginia Beach, VA. His flights were on time and he said that it was a good trip. Once Joe got here, Laura and Lindsey stopped by to see Joe for a couple hours and then about 4:30 or so, Roland and Louise came. Soon after Roland and Louise arrived, Roland and Jim went and picked up some Chinese for dinner.  Roland and Louise couldn't stay long because they still had to go down to Frostproof and get their double-wide opened up so they could stay there, so they left about 6:30 or so. Yesterday, Linda mentioned to Jim and Joe that she wasn't happy with the furniture arrangement in the living room, so Jim and Joe proceeded to move thing around. Jim hasn't taken any photos of the new layout yet, but the 2 recliners are now where the couch used to be, making it better for TV viewing from the chairs that they normally sit in. Soon after they were done moving the furniture, Joe went to the grocery store and bought items to make taco's for dinner.  After a delicious meal of Taco's, Laura and Lindsey stopped by for awhile to visit and see how Linda was doing. Speaking of Linda. She's doing fine and is able to do more each day. She says that the soreness seems to be going away and see seems to be getting more energy as time goes on. Oh, and she called the doctor's office yesterday and he wants to see her on Wednesday, November 13th for a check-up and to discuss further treatment if necessary. He also told her that no further treatment would be done until she is completely healed up from the surgery, which will be between 6 to 8 weeks from now. So,  ,  ,  ,  that's what I know for now. Joe will be staying here until this coming Wednesday. (He can do some work from here on the Internet), I'm sure Laura and Lindsey will be stopping by from time to time and this evening, Ashley is planning on stopping by for awhile. It's been really great to see Joe again and Linda is just thrilled that he's here and will be able to stay that long. If I don't post every day, don't worry, Linda seems to be doing fine, it's just very busy around here right now. ;-) Did you know that November is "Banana Pudding Lovers Month"? Woof!!!

Joe and Roland And Louise Coming To Visit

DeBary, FL.

64 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 88F. Winds from the ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20%.

Linda is still doing well. Still sore and pretty weak, but she says that it seems like all of that is improving as time goes by.

I don't know just when, but Joe, from Virginia Beach is coming to see Linda today. I know he's been worried about his mother and has been trying to find a time when he could come down here. I'll know more a little later on, but I'm thinking it'll be sometime this evening before he gets here.

Linda can hardly wait to see him!!! ;-)

Also, Roland and Louise are planning on stopping by today. They're on their way down to their home in Frostpoof, FL for the winter and are planning to swing by here. Louise is going to call this morning and tell Linda and Jim when they'll be arriving. If you remember, they were going to come up to Rantoul for a visit. Then, just before they got there, we had to come down here for Linda's surgery, so we didn't get to see them. :-( 

Linda and Jim are really looking forward to seeing them too.

Laura stopped by for awhile yesterday. While she was here, she found out that Marv, (Lindsey's father), is having some medical problems and was going to the doctor.

I hope he's going to be OK.

Oh!!! With all that's been going on, I almost forgot that today is Halloween!!!!

Happy Halloween everyone!!!!!!

Did you know that the owl is a popular Halloween image? In Medieval Europe, owls were thought to be witches, and to hear an owl's call meant someone was about to die.

The Best Laid Plans

DeBary, FL.

67 deg. mostly cloudy, no wind.
Forecast = Partly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of 86F. Winds from the North at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20%.

Well, the best laid plans just don't work out sometimes.

About 9:30 yesterday morning, Mike called from Northern Florida, (where they had spent the night), and informed Jim that Dillon had come down with what looks like chickenpox!!!! He was running a slight fever and had spots on his body that were itching him. :-O

What a bummer!!!!!!!!!

Normally, Jim and Linda would have said to come on here anyway, but being that Linda has all those medical procedures set up, plus probable surgery, it was decided that it would be best if Mike and his family wouldn't stop by on their way to Disney World. :-( 

So, instead of being with family, the day was spent doing a few things around the house, going to the grocery store and watching football on TV.

It was very disappointing that they weren't able to come, but I really feel sorry for Dillon. He just turned 6 on Saturday, and I'm sure he was really looking forward to Disney World. :-(

Did you know that Chickenpox has been observed in other primates, including chimpanzees and gorillas?

Woof!!!

Getting Ready For Company

DeBary, FL.

64 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Clear. High of 88F. Winds from the North at 5 to 15 mph.

After cleaning up the Florida room, Jim spent quite a bit of the morning out in the storage shed/shop, yesterday morning.

I'm having a little trouble deciding what I want to call it. Up to now, it's definitely just been a storage shed, but now since Jim has been working on it, it's starting to look more like a small workshop. But, the washer and dryer are out there too, so maybe it should be the laundry room.

Decisions!!! Decisions!!!

The afternoon was spent with Jim and Linda cleaning/straightening up the house, doing a load of laundry and taking naps. ;-) Then for dinner, they took CLT and headed over to the Perkins Restaurant in Orange City.

This morning, Jim will do some final vacuuming so the house looks presentable when Mike, Gina and the kids get here this afternoon.

I don't know for sure, but the other day, Linda mentioned that she thought that Gina's mother, Susan, may be coming along on this trip too. I don't remember meeting her but I'll be sure to welcome her and behave if she is along with them. ;-)

I don't want to make a bad impression!!

Did you know that on this date in 1792, the cornerstone of the Executive Mansion was laid in Washington, DC. The building became known as the White House in 1818.

Woof!!!

PET Scan and Company Coming Sunday

DeBary, FL.

63 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Clear. High of 86F. Winds from the NNW at 5 to 10 mph.

Just a couple things to keep you up to date.

Linda had the PET scan yesterday morning. She said that it really wasn't too bad, but took a long time, (about an hour and a half), because they had to inject some sort of dye/tracer into her blood stream and then wait for it to circulate throughout her body before they did the scan.

While she was having the test, Jim went to the Bob Evans Restaurant and had some biscuits and gravy. While he was there, Mike called from N. Carolina to find out if it was still OK for he and his family to stop by on Sunday.

Jim gave him directions on how to best get here to the house and Mike said that it would be sometime Sunday afternoon when they got here. He said that they would only be able to stay an hour or two because they have reservations down in Orlando for Sunday night and they want to get settled in before it got too late and the kids got too tired.

I['m sure glad that they'll be stopping by. It's been way too long since I've seen them. ;-)

After Linda was finished with the PET scan, Jim took her to the Perkins Restaurant so that she could get something to eat. She wasn't allowed to eat anything except a few crackers before the test so she was really hungry. While she was eating breakfast, Jim had a piece of apple pie.

No big plans for today. The house needs some TLC before Mike, Gina and the kids get here on Sunday. The weather has turned really nice here. The humidity has dropped way down and the temperatures are in the 80's instead of the 90's, so Jim may cook something on the grill for dinner.

If you'd like to learn more about the PET scan you can click on this link.  PET Scan It and the links off of that site should give you all the info you ever wanted to know about the procedure. (It's all way over my head!!!)  :-O

Did you know that there are about 2 billion $1 bills in circulation?

Woof!!!

Tests And Procedures and Company Coming?

DeBary, FL.

63 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Clear in the morning, then partly cloudy. High of 86F. Winds from the North at 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday, Laura swung by and picked up Linda and took her over to the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach for her chest x-ray, EKG and blood test. It took all afternoon and they didn't get back here until dinner time.

Linda said that the tests weren't too bad, but the waiting between them was not much fun.

On the way back, they stopped and picked up a couple burgers from Burger King so that Linda and Jim would have something to eat with out a bunch of preparation.

While Linda and Laura were gone, Jim took CLT and headed over to the storage yard to check on Bobbie T.  I feel kind of sorry for her. It was so crazy when we came down here that she was just parked over in the storage area without being cleaned up inside or out. CLT says that she still has some bug spatters on the front of her and I know that nothing inside was cleaned.   She seems to be doing fine though and Jim spent a couple of hours over there, exercising the generator and doing some cleaning inside of her.

Hopefully Jim will be able to get back over there soon and do more cleaning.

Yesterday, Linda did some laundry and Jim tried to stay busy by doing some re-organizing out in the shop/storage shed.

Today, Linda has to go to the Florida Hospital in Orange City for that PET Scan. Her appointment is for 10:15, but was asked to be there by 9:45, (probably to fill out paperwork). Other than that, I don't think there are any other plans.

Oh, we may be getting company! Jim and Linda's son Mike, Gina and the kids may be stopping by this weekend. They're heading down to the "attractions" (Disney World etc.) in Orlando for a vacation and when Jim last talked to Mike, he said that they'd like to stop by to see Linda and Jim and see the house.

I hope they can, since we couldn't make it to their place in North Carolina this fall.

A Point to Ponder: Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.

Woof!!!