Hugs, Kisses, Handshakes And A Few Tears and Virginia Beach, VA To Moncure, NC

Moncure, NC.

47 deg. partly cloudy, no wind.

Forecast = Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 66F. Winds light and variable.

Happy Halloween!!!

Thursday, after hugs, kisses, handshakes and  few tears, we left Joe and Nancy's house in Virginia Beach about 10 minutes after 10:00 and headed West on I-264. When we came to I-64, we turned South and followed it around to US 17, where we turned SW and followed it down into North Carolina. They're still building a new hi-rise bridge on 17 soon after you turn off of I-64, but we din't have much of a delay getting through the construction and soon we were tooling along on 17, which, in a few miles,  turns into a 4 lane divided highway.

17 stays divided all the way down into North Carolina and all but a few small sections are like that all the way down to Williamson, where we pulled into the Pierce Mobile Home and RV Park. It was right at 12:30 and we had traveled 120 miles when Jim went up to the office  to pay for our 1 night's stay.

In just a little while, Jim had Nora in her site and was hooking up her electric cable and running down the stabilizer jacks. (Didn't unhook from Big RED cause we're in a pull-though site and we would be leaving in the morning). Then, after that, he came inside, rested a bit had some liquid refreshments, went back out and dumped Nora's very full black and gray water tanks.

Friday morning we left Williamston at 9:45 and headed Wast towards Raleigh. In about an hour and 45 minutes we were going around the South side of the city on I-40/440. When we came to US 1, we turned SW on it and followed it here to Moncure, NC and the Goodwin's RV Park.

It was 12:05 when we pulled into the park, so it took us 2 hours and 20 minutes to travel the 137 miles over here.

We really like Goodwin/s. Marc, the owner is supper nice and will accommodate you in any way he can. It's a small RV Park with only a few sites available for short term use and they're usually full, so it requires a bit of luck to get a site here. Jim hasn't taken any photos of our site yet, but I'll be sure to post them when he does.

Mike, Gina and the kids were busy yesterday, but today, Big RED will be taking Jim and Linda over to their house. They're going for lunch, and will probably stay for a good part of the afternoon.


Did you know that Halloween is one of the oldest celebrations in the world, dating back over 2000 years to the time of the Celts who lived in Britain?

Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour tonight!!!

Woof!!!

Final Visit With Mike And His Family and Moncure To Forest City

Forest City, NC.

65 deg. fog, no wind.
Forecast = Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.

After heading up to Pittsboro to get groceries in the afternoon, Jim and Linda had a nice visit with Mike and his family Friday evening. Saturday nothing much happened except that Jim and Linda did start getting some things put away in preparation for out departure Monday morning. Sunday, a little before 11:00 they headed over to Mike and Gina's house for their last visit with them.

After eating a light lunch, Jim got out his camera and was able to get everyone together to get this shot of Mike and his family.

From left to right, there's Savanna, Mike, Dillon, Gina and Brenna.

About 2:30, after lots of h and k, (hugs and kisses), Jim and Linda left Mike and Gina's and headed back to the CG. On the way, they stopped and bought Big RED a nice drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel. Once back at the CG they continued getting ready for our Monday morning departure,

Yesterday morning, (Monday), we left Goodwin's CG about 5 minutes before 10:00 and headed for Forest City. We took the Moncure - Pittsboro Road up to Pittsboro where we turned West on US 64. 64 took us through Asheboro and then up to the little town of Holly Grove where we turned SW on I-85. 85 then brought us down through Charlotte and Gastonia and to Kings Mountain, where we turned off of I-85 and onto westbound US 74, 74 Then brought us through Shelby and finally to Forest City and Roland and Louise's house which is just a little NW of the city.

It was about 20 minutes before 2:00 when we arrived, so it took us about 3 hours and 45 minutes to travel the 210 miles over here. Not too shabby considering that part of the roads over here were 2 lane and we had to go through quite a few small towns and cities.

For the most part, all the roads were good. There was a short section of I-85 through Charlotte that was kind of rough, but not too bad. There were a couple of construction zones, but none that delayed us for any length of time.

After getting Nora positioned, set up and plugged in so that the A/C could be turned on, Jim and Linda spent most of the afternoon inside of the house visiting with Roland and Louise.

For dinner, Louise made some great "Southern Style" BBQ pulled pork for sandwiches  and then there was more visiting until around 9:30 when Jim and Linda came out here for the night.

Don't really know what the plans are for today. I do know that Roland has a dentist appointment this afternoon to have a tooth looked at that is giving him a lot of grief. :-(  We're all hoping that the dentist can get it fixed without too much trouble or discomfort for Roland.

Did you know that Forest City was originally incorporated in 1877 as Burnt Chimney? The name changed to Forest City in 1887.

Woof!!!

Dinner With Mike, Gina And Family and Heading Out Today

Moncure, NC.

37 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Sunshine. High near 75F. Winds light and variable.

Hasn't been much to write about. Every day Jim and Linda have taken Big RED and headed over to Mike and Gina's house. Then, yesterday, Mike and Dillon came out here to the park to see Nora and to visit for awhile.

It was a good visit and part of the time they were inside and the rest of the time they sat outside enjoying the great weather we've been having. Then, about 4:30 Jim and Linda took Big RED and headed to the Carrabba's Restaurant in Apex, where they met Mike, Gina, Brenna, Savanna and Dillon for dinner.

Jim and Linda said that the food was very good, but the best part was being there with Mike and his family. ;-)

But, everything must come to an end and after H and K, Jim and Linda headed back here, stopping at a gas station on the way, to get Big RED a nice big drink of that good old #2 diesel fuel, so he would be ready to go to work this morning.

Yep!! This morning, we'll be leaving and heading further East. The plan is to go as far as Williamston, NC today, and then go on to Virginia Beach tomorrow. Both days will be short travel days, but if we went the whole way in one day, (and we've done it before), it would be a fairly long day.

Both Linda and Jim are looking forward to seeing Joe and his family again. The plan is to stay in Virginia Beach about 10 days and then start heading down to Florida, getting there around the 18th or 20th of November.

Did you know that the first miniature golf course was built in Fayetteville, NC.?

Woof!!!

A Little More "Entertainment" and Lunch With Joe And His Family

Rantoul, IL.

68 deg. cloudy, NW wind @ 6 mph.
Forecast =  Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs around 79°F. North northwest wind 1 to 6 MPH. Chance of precipitation near 55%.

All of the campers that were here for the weekend left yesterday morning providing a little more "Campground Entertainment". It's always fun to watch them try to get everything packed up and put away in their RVs and other vehicles. Most seem to bring way too much "stuff" and spend a good part of their weekend getting the "stuff" set up and then put away again. ;-) Then, of course, there's the hook-up process which in many cases is very entertaining.

By noon, almost all were on their way back to their homes and the CG was nice and quiet again. :-)

About 12:30 the phone rang and it was Joe, saying that they were just about to leave Momence and head to Gilman, IL to meet up for lunch. So, in just a few minutes, Jim and Linda took Big RED and headed up there to meet them.

The place they met was the K & H Truck Plaza at the intersection of US 24 and US 45, about 1/2 mile East of I-57. The K & H Truck Plaza has been in business since 1967 and is known for it's very good restaurant that serves home cooked meals, (not your usual truck stop food).  I don't think Joe or his family had ever been there before, but Jim and Linda had, and in fact Jim used to stop there when he was driving truck, many years ago.

The timing was good and Joe, Nancy, Sami and Amber got there just as Jim and Linda arrived. The timing was also good in another respect as the Sunday lunch crowd was just starting to leave and a table for 6 had just been cleared. :-)

The food at the restaurant did not disappoint.  Everyone had something different and everyone enjoyed their meal. Joe, had the fried chicken special, and said that it was excellent!! The service was also excellent, and the waitress was very friendly and efficient.

Being that the restaurant had pretty much emptied out by the time everyone was done eating, there was no reason to hurry so they all sat and talked for awhile. But, all too soon, it was time for Joe and his family to head back to Momence again. :-(   Out in the parking lot, after hugs all around, Jim and Linda headed back here to the CG and Joe and his family headed back to Momence.

It was a very good visit and a good meal. We'll be seeing them again in late Oct. or early Nov.

It was around 3:30 by the time Big RED brought Jim and Linda back here to the CG.

Did you know that on this date in 1860 - The first successful silver mill in America began operations? The mill was in Virginia City, NV. 

Woof!!!

Joe's Visit

DeBary, FL.

65 deg. clear, no wind.
Forecast = Sunny. High 92F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Joe was able to get a flight Friday and by about 2:00 he was pulling up to the house in the rental car. :-)  After H and K, (Hugs and Kisses), and some visiting, they all climbed into Big RED and headed over to Dr. Saferali's so that Linda could get her injection. (The one that makes her bones ache).

In a little while they were back here and relaxing. Joe especially needed to relax because he had gotten up really early so that he could get to the airport early to be sure of a seat on a flight.

Because everyone was tired and the weather wasn't too nice, (Lots of rain), Linda called Laura and Lindsey  and invited them and Ashley and Chris to come over for pizza. (Sorry no photos). :-(

After they arrived, the pizza was ordered and soon everyone was enjoying the food and catching up with what has been happening with Joe and his family.

The side effects from Linda's injection didn't seem to get too bad this time so on Saturday, after spending the day visiting and relaxing, Jim, Linda and Joe took Big RED and headed over to Gram's Kitchen for dinner. Jim and Joe had the fish special, and Linda had a chopped steak meal. Again, the food was very good and the conversation even better. ;-)

Sunday morning, they headed over to Highbanks to show Joe the new travel trailer. Then on the way back here to the house, they stopped by Walgreen's and picked up a few needed items that Jim and Linda needed.

Monday, not a whole lot happened. Laura stopped by for awhile in the afternoon, Joe made spaghetti for dinner and then Laura and Lindsey came back and spent most of the evening visiting.

Early yesterday morning, (around 6:00 AM), everyone got up and visited for awhile while Joe packed all his belongings  up. By a little after 7:00 and more "H and K", (and a few tears), Joe was on his way back to the airport. :-(

It sure was good to see him again. His visit really really lifted Linda's spirits. It's too bad he couldn't have stayed a little longer, but he had to get back to Virginia. Hopefully, if all goes well, we'll be stopping by their house this fall.

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

Woof!!!

The Waiting Is Over and Linda's Surgery

DeBary, FL.

70 deg. clear, N. wind @ 4 mph.
Forecast tonight = Clear. Low of 63F. Winds from the NNE at 5 to 10 mph.

I'm posting this on Monday evening so that all of you get the news as soon as possible.

In the middle of the night, (3:50 AM Monday morning), I heard Jim and Linda's alarm clock beeping in the bedroom and soon Jim came out and started getting ready to leave. Soon after, Linda came out and then about 4:20, Jim and Linda waked out of the house, got into CLT (Cute Little Truck), and headed to the Bob Evans Restaurant parking lot, where they had made plans to meet up with Laura at 4:30.

As soon as Laura arrived, they headed , (with Laura leading the way), to the Halifax hospital in  Daytona Beach. CLT says that they got there about 5:00 and were in plenty of time for Linda's 5:15 appointment.

In just a short time, they had Linda in a room and were prepping her for surgery. Surgery was scheduled for 7:30, but there were some delays, and it was almost 8:30 when they began.

The surgery went well and they were able to do the daVinci  Robotic method, which means that they didn't have to make a large incision. The surgery did not go real smoothly though and the procedure took about 4 hours.

I won't go into the details here, but in the end, the results were very good and she came through the surgery with flying colors!!!! ;-)  By 3:30 in the afternoon, she was eating broth and Jello, and drinking liquids.

Jim said that she is sore, but doesn't have severe pain. Her vitals are all good, and if she can tolerate solid food and continues to improve, she should be coming home tomorrow!!!!! :-)  She's in good spirits and was joking around with Jim, Laura and the nurse.

About 5:30 Linda started getting tired, so Jim gave her h and k, (hugs and kisses), and came back here to the house. Laura will stay the night. They have an extra bed in the room for someone to sleep on and they actually encourage family to stay.

So,  ,  ,  ,  ,  the surgery went well, even though it did take a long time. Linda is doing well and hopefully she'll get to come home tomorrow. In about 2 weeks she'll have an appointment with Dr. Molpus, (the surgeon), any further treatments or procedures will be discussed and then in about 6 to 8 weeks, additional procedures/treatments will start if required.

And,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  the waiting is over!!!! :-)

Linda and Jim want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. They were of great help and are very much appreciated.

Thank You!!! Thank You!!! Thank You!!!

Did you know that the harder you concentrate on falling asleep, the less likely you are to fall asleep?

Woof!!!!