LIVING OUR DREAM IN A RV

2 WEEKS LEFT HERE!

2013-02-12T10:28:00.002-05:00

LENNY AND THE BROWNHILL CRANE TALKING TO EACH OTHER

BROWN HILL CRANE OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

CRAIG SPRAYING AROUND TREE FROG CAMP

CRAIG BY A TRAP WE PUT TO PUT TOGETHER

WORKING WITH VOLUNTEER JOE

                                             CRAIG CHECKING OUT A HUGE SPIDE

We leave here on the 28th of Feb. and are truly going to miss this place, best gig we ever had, but it is time to move on and let the new volunteers start but we will be back next year for sure, already booked for Oct. 1st, 2013. When we leave here we will be headed for Hammock State Park for 5 days and then to Lake Kissimee State Park for 3 days and then on to Homosassa Springs to our friends Annette and Barry's place until we start heading back to Michigan the first week of April, plan on stopping by and seeing our friends and former volunteers from here Brooks and Frieda at Swannee River State Campground. We have to be back to start our new gig May 1st at Sleeper State Park in Caseville Michigan, but mostly want to be back by April 11th for my son's birthday, my Grandson's birthday April 14th and my Granddaughter's birthday on April 14th..as you can see April is a busy month for birthday's! I can't wait to see everyone and hoping they can spend some time with us in Caseville and Port Austin, I also plan on spending more time at their places this summer and taking the grandkids for a few days with us while doing our gigs. We have scheduled a couple of our summer gigs to make it easier for them to see us without driving a couple of hours. We will be in Caseville from May 1st to June 1st, which is about 45 min. from the kids and grandkids and a favorite place for them to hang out, plus my step-children are from this area and hoping to see them again, then we head up to Tawas Point State Park June 1st to July first, now this is at least an hour and a half for them to travel but our friends Annette and Barry have a huge cabin up there and I plan on having the kids and grandkids come and stay with us there and at the campground for a few days, then we are back to the thumb area at Port Crescent State Park, which is just down the road from Sleeper and not that far for them to travel and will be there the whole month of July, now we didn't plan on hosting anymore after Port Crescent but North Higgins Lake called and they want us back, it is a couple hour drive for the family but we love this place and realized that we have to stay someplace before we head back to Florida and with the cost of a campground site being $24-$28 a night we really can't afford that, we wanted to travel further up north and stay at a few campgrounds up there and see the Lake of the Clouds and the Sand dunes, but we figure we will take the car and take a couple days off while at Higgins and head up there for a mini vacation, also want go to Mackinaw Island again! I also want to spend some time with my best bud Peggy, we may go on a couple of overnight stays to Mackinaw City, got lots of plans for this spring and summer. It will be filled with quality and quantity but most of all memories. We still have our house rented out and can't really go there, planned on taking it back but got a good renter in there now and can't really afford to live this life and pay the cost of maintaining a home too without renting it out. I have the hardest time during the holidays, I miss the family soo much at that time, so I plan on flying home for Christmas this year to be with them, after that I am fine, hate missing a couple birthdays but some things can't be avoided and I know they understand!
                                          Been weeding out a lot of clothes and unsellable ebay items! Gotta make more room once we hit the road again, I have clothes that I haven't worn since we left almost 2 years ago and plus waaaaay to many pairs of shoes, plus ebay items that I have relisted and relisted and am acturally losing money on them now, so took 3 bags to the thrift store yesterday! Been slowly taking wind chimes & twinkle lights down, rugs, coolers, grills, etc. and packing them away, been washing windows and plan on giving the old motorhome a bath before we leave, it has been sitting here for 4 months and is pretty dirty, Craig also plans on changing the oil too!
                                                       Time to move on, getting the old hitch-inch feeling again, time to hit the road! We want to take our time heading for Michigan, we had to rush down here last Oct. so want to take our time heading back, hope to see our nephew Brian in Alabama as we pass thru and also when we leave here next year we are going to Virginia to spend a week or so at my daughter Susan and son-in-law Russ home in Virginia...
                                                            Enjoy the day! God Bless!

I KNOW I KNOW IT'S BEEN AWHILE!!

2013-01-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

PINE CAMP..One of the rustic campsites

EAGLE!

A FULL MOON

CRAIG WORKING

CRAIG'S NEW SAFARI HAT

GOPHER TURTLE

OUR FIREPIT

HOME

TREE FROG

PRETTY FLOWERS

VULTURES FLARING

NORMAL MORNING SITE

OUR RIG..SUNSHINE IS SO BRIGHT YOU CAN'T SEE OUR DOLPHINS

CRAIG AND MR.TURTLE

I apologize for not blogging sooner but been busy with my e-bay business and just doing our everyday duties here! Craig now has the title of Exotic Species Animal Trapper which means he baits and helps trap invasive species here at the preserve, which are feral hogs, they are so very distructive here, they just tear up the preserve bad! Feral pigs can damage the landscape by eating or trampling them and also damage while rooting and wallowing which damages plant roots and creates holes and ruts that can damage equipment and endanger operators, they need to be brought under control!
           We have a new volunteer here from Michigan, Jo who is from Otter Lake which is about 20 miles from my home town of Vassar, she has been coming here for about 4 years and is a breath of fresh air and a book of knowledge about this place! We also have gone out to eat with the volunteers on the southeat side, Sam and Diane, hoping to get together soon again, we really enjoyed each others company! Then we have Larry and Sandy who are full timers too and have also been coming here for about 4 years, then there in Steve who is in a 5th wheel and this is his second year here. Different people with different personalities!
           We are already signed up to be here again in the fall of 2013 to the spring of 2014 and we have gigs in Michigan for May,June and July...We will be at Sleeper State Park for the month of May, Tawas Point State Park for the month of June and Port Crescent State Park for the month of July, then we are taking August off and do some traveling in the U.P. of Michigan since we have never seen the Porcupine Mountains or the Lake of the Clouds! We plan on leaving Michigan around the second week of Sept. so we can take our time heading back to Florida and enjoy some of the other states along the way! Hopefully my brother Butch and sister-in-law Norma will be able to follow us down here, working on getting them a volunteer gig! It would be awesome to have family here with us, they are perfect for this type of life, they love traveling and hate winter and cold weather, plus they have the sweetest personalities and love people and nature! It will help me get thru the holidays too since I had such a hard time at Christmas with missing the kids and grandkids so I plan on flying home next Christmas to be with them! What I would love to do is have them come down here and spend Christmas with us but the problem with that is we don't have any room here for them to stay, so I would have to get them a motel room which could be pretty expensive, so it will be easier to fly there for a few days!
                             The weather has been perfect here, 70's-80's during the day and gets down to high 40's to 60's at night, we have had a little bit of rain but it mostly rains at night, they say that this is the best weather they have had in years! We are going on an Airboat ride next Thurs. with another volunteer Steve and his brother who is visiting him, for around 3 hours with a lunch included. Can't wait, sounds so exciting, will be posting pictures for sure!
         We have a little over a month before we are done here and since it will be too cold to head back to Michigan we are going to go check out the Keys for a couple of weeks and then head to our friends Annette and Barry's in Homosassa Fl. on the west side of the state by the Gulf of Mexico, they are gracious enough to let us park in there yard and we really enjoy their company, then we plan on leaving there around the 1st of April and slowly start heading back to Michigan! Hoping that Michigan has an early spring, don't want to go home to cold! Will be getting hitch-itch by then and will be ready to hit the road again!
                          Love this place, it is different then any other volunteer gig we have ever done, kind of like taking care of a large farm,like mowing, mending fences, keeping trails cleared, making fire lanes, brush-hogging, sign repairs, opening and closing the gates at night, cleaning the offices and visitor center, etc. so much different then camphosting because we have no campers to host, the only time we have to deal with people is at the visitor center two days a month!
                       Well enjoy the pictures and I will try to keep this blog going by posting pictures and updates! Have a great day!

ARIZONA & MEXICO!!!

2012-12-03T17:19:00.000-05:00

HELLO!!!

SURPRISE!!

BEAUTIFUL BRAHMAS

CRACKERS!

CRAIG WORKING/SPRAYING WEEDS

CHRISTMAS

DOLPHIN LIGHTS

MORE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND CRAIG

OUR CHRISTMAS TREE WREATH & LENNY WORKING

Hi, haven't been on here because had to go to Arizona because my grandson was sick, got home on Tues. and then had to leave Thurs. for Mexico with my daughter while she had a medical procecure done and returned back here Tuesday! So didn't have much time to blog! Craig has had to take care of everything including sitting at the visitor center Fri. & Sat. for 6 1/2 hrs per day, he wasn't pleased but it is all part of the job, he would rather I take care of that, he does all the mowing and spraying for weeds, plus opening and closing the gate in the am and pm! But I am back and helping him with the mowing and spraying! Don't have to worry about the visitor center for a couple of weeks because we have 2 more volunteers here, we have Steve in a fifth wheel with a toy hauler where he stoles his model A, he will be in charge of the plumbing and electric, he is next to us and we have Larry and Sandra in a motorhome, they will share opening and closing and working the visitor center plus cleaning the offices with us and Brooks and Frieda! We all went out to eat and listen to some bluegrass at the Landing Sat. night. I put up the Christmas decorations and got some pictures of some brahma bulls down the road from us, as I was looking in the camera to get a picture I looked up and a brahma was right there in my face, lol! I don't know why but they had cut their horns off, but still they are so huge and majestic! We mowed and sprayed weeds today for about 4 hrs., so plan on taking tomorrow off and relax! Craig and the guys are going fishing tonight after closing! I look forward to having the place to myself!! Well, know this is short but at least got a few pictures and plan on posting more tomorrow!

SICK GRANDSON!

2012-11-21T08:23:00.000-05:00

Haven't been on here because my grandson Nathan has been very ill, he is in Arizona so I flew out there to be with him and his mother/my daughter! Was there from Thurs. to Sunday. He is doing a lot better but it was touch and go for awhile. I am now getting ready to fly to be with my daughter has she has surgery now! Will fly out tomorrow and be back Tues.! Thank God for understanding Rangers and for Craig for carrying the load himself, it was our week off so it wasn't too bad for him, what was tough was he had to package and ship several e-bay items that sold while I was gone, he did and awesome job! I will be flying Thanksgiving day, so we had our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday since we will be on the road today, going to get a hotel room because my flight leaves at 5AM and it is an hour and a half to the airport! Craig will have to work the visitor center by himself Friday and Saturday, plus more shipping and handling for me! He is being a real sport about all of this, but he knows that family is important and knows I have to do what I have to do! When I get back we will be cutting grass and spraying weed killer, we get to use a z-mower so it isn't all that bad, I will be doing all the work at the visitor center, it is all real easy here, they realize that Craig is limited on what he can do so they allow for that, the other volunteers are pretty cool about filling in for us when we have to be somewhere else! We had pizza and beer night at Pat and Jerry's Sunday night, Brooks and Frieda were there too, had such a great time, laughed and shared funny camphosting stories with them, this is thier first volunteer jobs and so of course us pros (lol) had to fill them in about all the fun and horror stories! Got to see some of those wild hogs at their site, scary to think how close they can get to your campsites! Seen an 8 point buck right outside our MH and seen a 6 pointer while out riding around checking the gates! The manatees are starting to gather more and more, hoping to get some more pictures! Well, will be busy the next few days and will be back on here next Weds. hoping to have some pictures! You all have a great Thanksgiving and God Bless you all!

BONFIRE WITH THE OTHER VOLUNTEERS

2012-11-12T10:07:00.002-05:00

THE FAMOUS SCRUBJAY BIRD

CUTE SCREECH OWL

CRAIG FREAKING ON SOME OF THE SPIDERS THAT ARE HERE

THE GREY FOX

COYOTE

BONES OF SOME OF THE ANIMALS HERE AND A POSSUM
BELOW: AN ALLIGATOR SKULL

ABOVE; HOW FLORIDIAN'S DRESS WHEN IT IS ONLY 65 DEGREES

THE SET UP FOR THE 100 MILE RUN!

THE VISITOR CENTER!

BEAUTIFUL DAY..VEIW AS I WAS SITTING ON THE PORCH OF THE VISITOR CENTER

DINASAUR HIP BONE

                                            OUR HOME!

Had a busy day at the visitor center Saturday, they had the 100 mile race going on, yep, 100 miles race, which takes 36 hours to finish, they run none stop into the night! I had to laugh because the friends, family, visitors were all dressed in heavy sweatshirts, jackets and even blankets because the temperature was only around 65 degrees, I was dressed in shorts and a Hawaiian blouse, they thought I was crazy and I thought they were but one thing they knew for sure, I wasn't a native Floridian!
                 After the events of the day and work day done, all us volunteers sit around a bonfire with snacks and drinks! Brooks(volunteer) wife showed up and is a sweet and awesome lady, she fits right in, Pat and Jerry the volunteers from the southside showed up also, we all had a great time, lots of laughs and stories!
                            Had some bad news from my daughter who is in Phoenix with her son, my grandson Nathan is very very ill with viral mono, viral meningitis and EB Stein Bar, they had to move him into ICU! This is the part that makes it hard for me, I want to be with family when they need me and may being flying to Phoenix in next couple of days to be with them, right now my daughter says she is ok and to wait and see how the next couple of days go! Worried sick about both my grandson and my daughter, but been keeping in constant touch by phone and have checked on plane tickets if I need to go! Been doing a lot of praying!
               Got the next few days off and am able to get all my merchandise listed on ebay, over 100 items for sale right now! Helps pay the bills! We are going into Palm Bay today to eat at the Golden Corral, vets eat free so only have to pay for my meal! God Bless our vets today!!
                 Everyone have a great day!

A DAY AT THE VISITOR CENTER TODAY

2012-11-09T18:56:00.001-05:00

We working the desk!

Craig reading about spiders!

Library/TV/DVD player area!

Bones and a stuffed possum!

Dinasaur Bone!

Tools from the Old Railway!

Comfy Rockers and a red fox!

A stuffed Sketch Owl!

A Strange but pretty beetle!

Worked at the visitor center today for 6 1/2 hours today, just had to answer the phone and any questions visitors had when they came in! Interesting place with lots of stuffed wild animals, bones, and books about nature and the park! Was a busy place today with lots of visitors because of the 100 mile race that takes place tomorrow at 7 am and ends Sunday! Some will run the full 100 miles, while some will do the 50 mile run and the 25 mile run! They will run into the night with the trails lit with solar lights, they have food and water stands along the way! A lot of people showed up today and pitched tents in the back of the visitor center, some got a motel room, some will sleep in there cars! I give them a lot of credit but I could never do it, my knees wouldn't allow it! More power to them!
Craig cleaned the offices while I worked at the center, he got the dirty end of the job (no pun intended) he had to vacuum, clean the desks and windows and then clean the bathrooms and clean the toilets! Tomorrow I work the visitor center again but this time I have to clean it too, oh well, part of the job! While I was sitting on the porch I noticed a bright green beetle, grabbed my camera and took a picture of it, that is the actural size above, kinda neat! Took the picture then kicked it off the porch! Also seen a huge spider yesterday under our MH, I reached underneath to grab a box and the thing almost ran across my hand, scared me so bad that when I tried to scream nothing came out! I called Craig out to check it out and he said it was a wolf spider, nasty looking thing!

I finally got a couple of good manatee pictures, thanks to a good camera with a zoom lens! They only come up for a few seconds so you have to be fast! I have been told there are a couple of alligators out there too! So I don't get too close!
Well, long day today, last day of work tomorrow then a week off! We are going to have a big bonfire here tomorrow night with the other volunteers, so should be fun!! So until the next time God Bless!

WENT ON A WILD HOG KILL!!

2012-11-06T18:38:00.000-05:00

DEER IN FRONT OF OUR LAUNDRY ROOM AND 4X4 DUMP TRUCK WE USE!

THE POLARIS WE USE FOR CHECKING OUT TRAILS OR JUST FOR FUN!

THE ELECTRIC GATE WE LIVE BEHIND, WE HAVE A CODE TO GET IN!

MORE DEER!

OUR ONLY NEIGHBOR, BROOKS THE OTHER VOLUNTEER!

OUR HOME!

BONFIRE PIT!

OUR HOME IN THE DISTANCE!

                                                   DEER THAT ME AND LENNY CAME UPON!

Had a unique experience yesterday! I was telling a ranger that I haven't seen any wild hogs yet, he says "jump in my truck, if you don't mind riding along I just got a call there are 3 wild hogs down the road and I have to shot them", I said "hell yes, let's go"!! I stayed by the truck while he and another guy went out in the swamp looking for them, I heard three shots, I guess they got 2, they dragged one out for me to check out, it was a sow and she was huge, the other one was a boar and one got away! Wild hogs are so distructive here, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage, they have to constantly keep them under control because they breed like rabbits! But I couldn't wait to tell Craig, he was out cutting grass most of the day, which he enjoys on a big Z-mower!
                                          Got sick of waiting on the camera charger to come so I drove to a Best Buy in Vero Beach to day and bought a battery charger! Been taking pictures of nature all day as you can see! But most of all I got to take over 200 pictures of my e-bay merchandise so I can list my Christmas items! I bet now that I have this charger mine will show up tomorrow!!
                                          Craig took Brooks the other volunteer out to shut the main gate and make sure everyone is out for the night! He is a sweet guy, I think he is lonely because his wife wouldn't be here for a couple of weeks yet! I told him we'll have a bonfire this weekend after we finish at the visitor center, we'll see if Pat and Jerry want to join us too!
                                               Getting use to this place now and loving it, I feel like I am living on a farm but instead of cows and chickens we have deer, manatees, and wild hogs! Craig loves it, he never has been the social butterfly I am, lol! Can't wait until the other couple show up in December, I guess they are quite the characters, they sit around a bonfire about every night, this is like the 2nd or 3rd time they have been here and have a few good stories to tell! I still miss my kids and grandkids, can't get away from that, my sons are going thru some rough times right now but are tough and know what they gotta do, my daughter's son and my Grandson has been very ill with Menegitis in Arizona, she is in Virginia and worried sick but he is doing well now, thank God! They have always put one foot in front of the other and kept on going, always making me proud!
                                               Well, tomorrow when we all wake up we will find out if we have a new president or the same guy! We voted absentee ballot before we left Michigan! So you all get out there and vote!!!! Until then next time, God Bless!

BUSY,BUSY,BUSY!!

2012-11-03T19:33:00.000-04:00

The turtle shell we found!

                                           The egg inside the turtle shell!!
SAT. 11/3
We have been very busy as they have been showing us around the trails, getting keys, checking trails out on our own with the gator, that was fun! The new guy showed up today and we had to help get him set up, real nice guy with a 31' travel trailor with a couple slides, his name is Brook, his wife will be showing up in a couple of weeks,she had to get her Mom set up in an assisted care facility!
                                          A few days ago we seen a gofer turtle shell that was laying along a trail, we took the gator and picked it up, when Craig looked inside of it he said there was a golf ball in it, but after looking closer it was an egg, yes, an egg! He said what ever killed it must not have been able reach it or it was too hard to break thru, but what a cool find! Can't wait to show the grandkids! If you go to my friend Snookie's blog you will be able to read about the turtles! http://quinnsawesomejourney.blogspot.com/2010/05/5302010-one-egg-two-eggs-three-eggs.html
                              We got our screen up on our awning and strapped down, got the picnic table where we want it, chairs unpacked, ebay stuff out of the car and into the motorhome! Set out for awhile and drank a few beers and listened to some music, then the mosquitos came, ugh, they are real bad at dusk and dawn, but once it is full light or dark they go away! Then we get to watch the deer, it is amazing how close they get to us, within 3 feet, they know we're there but as long as we don't move they keep on grazing, we even had the radio playing, Lenny doesn't know what to think of them, he stares and does a low growl! Craig warned me to not let Lenny get too close to the high weeds because of poisonous snakes, there are pigmy rattle snakes, coral snakes, cotton mouth and copperheads, or yeah, don't forget about the regular rattlers! Then there are the big spiders and scorpions, not to mention the giant wild hogs and alligators! I told him if I see any of them that Lenny's on his own because I be gone, lol, just kidding, I will grab Lenny then run! So I make sure I carry a stick with me at all times and don't go near high weeds!!
                                   Tomorrow we start our first full day by opening the front gate, working at the visitor center from 12:30 to 4:30, then in the evening we check the trails to make sure everyone is gone then lock the front gate! If the visitor center needs cleaning we do that, but the other volunteers said they cleaned it pretty good today, they had one visitor, said we may get one or two, can get boring, I don't know how, I will be taking my computer, they have TV and dvd player with a lot of nature movies, books, microwave, refrigerator, big rocking chairs, etc.
                                   We washed and waxed our HHR today because for some reason there is 3 big white marks across the right side of the hood, like the paint was wiped off, took it to Advanced Auto and had a guy look at it, he said looks like brush marks from a car wash, I told him I went to a touchless care washes, he suggested we buy an electric buffer and buffing compound and wax and see if that got the marks out, well after spending over 50 bucks and working on it all day it faded the marks a little but they are still there, so I am going to take it to a dealer since it is still under warrantee and if they don't fix it I will try to turn it into our insurance! I am hoping it isn't from being towed behind the motorhome! We live on a very dusty road with white sugar sand and it makes a mess out of our car, doesn't even look like we washed it after one trip to town!

SUN: 11/4 FIRST DAY OF WORK!!
                  Had to unlock the front gate at 8 am and unlock the bathrooms. Carol and Stan, other volunteers left today so we have the new guy Brook and us on northeast side and Pat and Jerry on the northwest side. We worked at the Visitor Center today 12:00 to 4:30... Relaxing and enjoyable, had about 7 visitors plus 3 workers! Place was super clean so I played on the computer and Craig watched movies on the big screen, took our lunch with us, but they failed to tell us we can't drink the water from the sink because it is unsafe, so I ran into town and got us some ice tea from Mickey Dee's!  We then had to check and make sure everyone was out of the reserve and then lock the gate at dusk, had to ask 3 vehicles to leave or they would be locked in, was a little nervous about that but they were fine with it and very polite! Long day but an easy day, tomorrow Craig has to cut grass around the office and horse stables, he gets to use the fancy z-mower, so we'll see how that goes!!

Well, gotta get off here for now, have a good one! By the way, I am waiting on the charger for my camera yet, hopefully it will be here by Monday! So good night and God Bless!

1 CAMPWORKER GONE 2 LEFT!

2012-11-01T18:41:00.001-04:00

We had 2 volunteers here on the Northwest side when we arrived and on the Northeast side are volunteers  Pat and Jerry! One set of volunteers left here today after being here for 6 months and are coming back in April, the other set are leaving here Sunday, they are leaving because they just don't care for it here, too secluded they say, they have only been here for a month, there was another volunteer arriving this weekend but their travel trailer got blown over from the winds of Sandy, now they don't know when they will arrive! Soooo, it looks like after Sunday we will be the only ones on this side and Pat and Jerry the only ones on the Northeast side! Jerry showed us around yesterday and today and this place is massive, 22000 acres and only 6 rustic campsites the rest is a reserve with horse stables and paths, a fireman's cabin (they have several controlled burns here), hundreds of hiking and horse trails, next weekend they are having a marathon run over 100 miles thru the trails, they will be out there for 24 hours! We will be taking turns at the visitor center on Sat. for about 6 hours, opening and closing the front gates, mowing the trails, around the buildings, and our area, but we get to use a z-mower which Craig loves, I have to be trained on it yet, count manatees and scrubjays, make sure all the bathrooms have toilet paper (2 in the visitor centers, 2 rustic outhouses, clean the visitor center while we are on duty there, which is every other week, vacuum and clean the offices once a week, take the dump truck or gator out every night around dusk and make sure all the visitors have left befor the gate is shut! Sounds like a lot but we only work a total of 20 hours a week! More then we expected but not any heavy physical work or a lot of walking for Craig!
                                I am waiting for a new charger for my camera to arrive or I would be posting more pictures of the deer, manatees, horses, cranes,herons, etc. I have yet to see the 350 pound wild hogs yet but they laugh at me and tell me I will see them when I least expect to!! Jerry and her husband are about our ages and have an older class C motorhome with 3 cats, one they rescued while here, they took it to a cat rescue and they had no room there for about 3 weeks so she took it home and gave it a name, lol, sounds like my daughter Susan! She told me this gig will be like none we have ever done, there is no camphosting here because there are no rv campers, the only campers here our backpackers and they have to hike back in for miles before they get to a campground and when they get there it VERY rustic, no bathroom, electricity, just a few benches around a firepit, ugh, I give them a lot of credit, maybe when I was younger but not now!!
                            We will start working on Sunday at the visitor center because the gal the does it then will be out of town, but are official start in Monday! So wish us luck, we will either really, really like it or really, really hate it! Ah, the life of a volunteer!!!
                                                      Ok, out of here, have a great day and God Bless!!

WE MADE IT!!!

2012-10-31T08:11:00.003-04:00

Seen a herd of deer right outside our window!

Gator we will be using!

What I seen this morning!

Well, we are here, got here about 4 pm yesterday, what a huge place, we are in a gated area with 2 other campworkers, nice people, eager to meet us, but they are leaving us because one couple have been here for 6 months and need to go home another couple are leaving because they want to be closer to a golf course, go figure, not for everyone I guess, but we are about 5 miles from the ocean, and within 3 big towns, with Walmarts, K-marts, Public's grocery store, anything we need, and all within 10 miles. Two more couples are coming in this weekend, so we will go from newbies to most experienced, lol! Today we will be shown around by Jerry the ranger and what our duties will be! What the other workers are saying is we open the gates to the park by 8 am and close them at sunset, work a couple days in the Visitor center, check and make sure everyone is out of the park before closing the gates, check on the manatees(love that part) and that's about it!
Went into town to get a few groceries and when we got back there was a herd of deer right next to our mh, then after we got inside I looked out my window and there were a few more, I was able to get some cool pictures! Feels good to finally get here and relax, temperture is around 70-75, we have some cool nights they are telling us, but not like they have in Michigan! Our satellite, internet and phone(weak signal but if I step outside it comes in better) all come in! We have a nice lot with green grass carpet, sewer and water! Only problem is that we will have to use our own shower because they do not have public showers for us to use, only problem with that is when our propane gets low we will have to break camp and go into town to refill, unless they deliver like they did in Texas. I will take pictures today of our living area and surrounding areas.
Well, gotta get dressed and ready for Ranger Jerry to show us around! So until later, God Bless!!

HELLO ALABAMA!!!

2012-10-28T19:53:00.001-04:00

Craig & Me at Oak Mountain State Camp Ground Alabama

Me too!
What a view from our big Windshield

Oak Mountain S.P. Alabama

TEEPEE MOTEL IN TENNESSEE

Our best day so far as weather goes and for traveling! Windy but no rain or accidents! We are at least a day behind schedule because of the accident that caused the traffic back up yesterday! I called Ken at St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park and told him we will be coming in a day late because of the traffic back up, he said not a problem and to be safe, he said one of his hosts will be coming in late because their travel trailor flipped over in the wind from Hurricane Sandy, so I guess so far we have been fortunate! We got off the road early today and are at the Oak Mountain State Park in Birmingham, Alabama, it is beautiful here so we wanted to relax a little and enjoy the park! Plan on being up early tomorrow so we can make up some time!
Got a shower and a walk in before retiring for the evening, was able to even play some scrabble on facebook! Met the camphost here and swapped stories of camphosting experiences and the love of this lifestyle, they have been here for a year and plan on going to the Gulf State Park campground for next year! We both agree that state campgrounds are so much nicer then the privately owned resort type campgrounds, more room and privacy but most of all so much more beautiful and scenic, plus all the wild life we see! If we didn't have a deadline to catch we would stay here for a few more days because I have a nephew that lives near by and friends that we met at our first workcamp job in Texas that also live in Birmingham Al. and only a short distance from us and I would love to see again, told them on our way back home in the spring we will be able to stay here a little longer so we will be able to visit!
I included some pictures from a motel in Tennessee that are Teepees, even the office is a Teepee, thought it was so cool! Well, it's getting late so until next time God Bless!

OUR FIRST CAMPHOSTING JOB!

2012-10-28T08:47:00.003-04:00

PORT CRESCENT STATE PARK!!

THE PAVILION WE WILL BE USING FOR CAMPHOSTING ACTIVITIES!

VIEW OF THE LAKE FROM OUR CAMPSITE

THIS IS A BLOG THAT I NEVER PUBLISHED SO HERE IT IS A FEW MONTHS LATE!!

Here we are at our first camphosting job and what a beautiful place it is! Port Crescent is right on Lake Huron at the tip of the thumb! We left Bay City State Park in the rain and arrived in the rain, so we have some drying out to do but today is suppose to be a warm sunny day in the 70's, but then the next few days will be raining! That's ok because we need one sunny warm day to get everything dried out and camp set up! Waiting for Ranger Betsy to come over and greet us and let us know what and when we start! The camphost site is beautiful and large, we have a pavilion for activities with storage units for all our crafts, we have a community firepit and a personnel one for our days off, we can see the beautiful lake from our site, so far there is only one camper here, right across from us, but they told us that on the weekend they get about 20 campers!

I picked up a bunch of stickers, finger paints, plastic eggs and animals to put items in for kids to find around the campground, bought coffee cups for coffee hour, etc., got all of it at goodwill, we will be getting a $150 allowance for any items such as coffee, cups, cream, sugar, or whatever we need to do our camphosting job. Can't wait, we have so many ideas! Saturday night Craig tried some of the campfire recipes he learned at camphost classes on the grandkids, they loved it! We have proudly framed our Camphost Certificates and will have them on display, we are as proud of them as college degree, lol!

Well, we are waiting for the rangers to come and mow our area so we can finish setting up our campsite, once that is done I will post more pictures! Until then have a great day!

BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN!1

2012-10-28T08:46:00.002-04:00

I know it's been awhile since I blogged but time to get serious about this again since we are back on the road again! Camphosted all summer in Michigan, first at Port Crescent State Park from May 1st to June first, then we camphosted at Tawas Point State Park for 6 weeks and then finished out at South Higgins Lake until Oct.15th! Now we are headed for St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park in Florida, we start Nov. 1st and will be there until the end of Feb. Got out of Michigan just in time, it was getting soooo cold, but had an appointment I had to be at! Loved the fall colors and spending a few more days with the kids and grandkids! We are in Kentucky right now and getting ready to head into Tennessee! Said our good-byes to everyone, which I hate, so I take my daughter-in-law Courtney's advice and just say I will see ya in the spring! Well heading out for now, will finish this blog this evening!!!
What a day, we were rerouted because of a horrible accident on I-65 where a semi and van collided, 11 people were killed, yes, that is right 11, 10 were from one family, the truck driver crossed over the mediam and hit a van with 12 menenites, 2 children survived! We were backed up and rerouted in a 5 mile long back-up, we made 15 miles for the day, but thinking about the 11 day died breaks my heart, yeah, we lost a day of travel but they lost there lives! They are in our prayers, how horrible!! We are suppose to be to our new gig by Nov. 1st but don't think that is going to happen, will have to call the ranger and let him know, Ken is pretty nice guy and will understand, plus we are heading into Hurricane Sandy, so the weather hasn't been the best! We were both exhausted last night and we in bed by 8, lol, I fell right to sleep, Craid made it until 10! We are in a beautiful park but a little more then we wanted to spend but the next campground was another hour away and Craig said he was just too tired to drive anymore!
Gotta get off here and get ready to hit the road! So until next time "God Bless"!

BIG STORM AND WE ARE STILL HERE!

2012-05-04T10:39:00.000-04:00

ALL SET UP! ONE OTHER CAMPER!

THE CABIN

                                              SUNSCREEN ALSO HELPS WITH THE WIND AND RAIN

Wow, what a storm, hail, high wings, heavy down pours, thank God we staked, straped and staked our canopy down, satellite went in and out but finally it came back in just in time to watch Idol, lol, but have to admit I love the sound of rain hitting the roof, Lenny freaks out but I love it! I went to our house in Bay City yesterday and dropped off and picked up a few things, love that house, but love living in our motorhome more, even if it is a lot smaller, but there is a freedom that I can't explain about it, yes, a lot less room but in a lot of ways a lot more, we live on acres and acres of woods, a beautiful lake a couple blocks away, deer come out in the evening, birds sing all day long, there are trails everywhere, we seem to discover new ones everyday, a big play area and a beach for the grandkids when they visit, there is a little cabin here for friends and family that can be rented, as a matter of fact my best friend of 37 years Peggy is coming this weekend and we are staying in the cabin for a girls weekend, time for catching up, do our hair, eat, watch girlie movies and laugh until we cry, my kids have bought a tent so they can follow us around! This is a beautiful way to live, I am so at peace here, I fall asleep with the sounds of the waves hitting the beach and wake up to the birds singing! It was a such a busy day in Bay City, but had a lot to be done, went to doctor and had a few things checked out, which led to blood work, a dobler on my leg, and a mammogram scheduled for next week, nothing serious, but I want to be in the best of health so I can continue to live this beautiful life, then a two hour trip to the dentist, I also want to look nice too, lol, then went to Kmart to get some much needed items, hit a couple of rummages sales for e-bay, stopped at my brother Bob's house to pick up Craig's sweatshirt that he borrowed last weekend, then got some new tires on our truck, thanks to my son Matthew, went to city hall to pay a bill, then to the bank to transfer some money and make a house payment! Sooo has you can see it was a busy day but got everything done on my list which had about 20 items on it, left at 7 am and didn't get home until 6 pm, drove thru heavy rain and hail, but made it! Today we plan on putting up our humming bird feeder because we have seen them in our bird feeder, then run into Bad Axe (about 20 miles away) to pick up a few items, oh yeah, we made homemade ice cream last night with our ice cream maker, can't wait to try it on the grandkids when they come and we plan on having an ice cream social with the campground kids as part of our camphosting duties!
                              What we are finding out is we want to take good care of ourselves so we can live this lifestyle as long as we can, Craig has traded his scooter electric wheelchair for a bike and I got me a bike also, we have been eating as healthy as we can, taking lots of walks, Craig can only walk short distances but that is why he has a bike now and he is doing good with it, he said he can feel his legs getting stronger. People have asked us "aren't you getting sick of living in your rv yet?" I tell them "why would we, it is like a forever vacation"! Yeah, we realize it will all end someday and we will have to park the motorhome forever but until then we will live our dream until we can't live it no more! We absolutely love it, can't wait to get up every morning to see the new day, during the day we sit out under our canopy and gaze at the stars and if it isn't raining eat lunch and supper outside then we love going inside to watch satellite tv, playing on the computer as Craig falls asleep in his recliner! Even Lenny is loving the life and is even getting better when strangers come around!
                      Well, gotta get off here and help Craig hang the new bird feeder! So until next time "GOD BLESS"!

ON OUR WAY HOME!

2012-04-17T07:17:00.000-04:00

ENTERING MARYLAND!

CAMPING IN MARYLAND!

SAYING GOOD-BYE TO MY GRANDDOGS!

TINY AND SCOOTER!

BUFFALO IN MARYLAND BY OUR CAMPGROUND!

HELLO PENNSYLVANIA!

JELLYSTONE PARK IN PENNSYLVANIA!

CRAIG AND LENNY RIDING THE TRAIN!

CREEK AT THE CAMPGROUND

KENNEDY AND HAYDEN WAITING FOR US TO COME HOME!

We are heading home to Michigan after an amazing 7 months of seeing this beautiful country! But it isn't over yet, we will be camphosting from May 1st to Oct. 9th in Michigan at 4 different state campgrounds! Going to be fun because we will be within an hour to and an hour and a half away from family and I sure have missed them. My son Matt and daughter-in-law Courtney have already got their tent out and ready to go camping with us, this will be grandkids Kennedy and Hayden's first time camping! My other son Richard and girlfriend Callie will be getting a tent and joining us also, with grandkids Callie Jean and Blaken, hoping Desiree will be coming also, but she is 15 yrs. old and might not want to join us! So will try to do a one on one with her, like a shopping trip! I can't wait to see them all! Got a busy weekend planned already, Sat. will be Blaken's 4th birthday party and Sunday will be Kennedy's 10th birthday party, Friday I have a dentist appointment, so plan on being home by Thursday night and will be staying at the Bay City State Campground until we leave for our camphost classes on Tuedays!

Seen a lot of family and friends on our adventure, some we haven't seen in years and some we see back in Michigan but all were awesome and we enjoyed our visits with them, cried when I said good-bye to them but then I have always been a crybaby! Looking forward also to seeing my best friend Peggy and have some quality time with her, will be back in time for her birthday at the end of the month! Can't wait to see my brothers Bob and Butch, and sister-in-law Norma, hoping to do some serious camping with them also!

I do know something after living on the road for so long is that I want to do it again and again! It has been the adventure of a life time and I don't want it to end! This time we will be going to Florida for the winter instead of west, we are trying to set up camphosting jobs for the fall, winter and early spring of 2012 to 2013, so wish us luck! Have already ordered our Woodall Campgrounds 2012 books and have renewed our campground discount cards. We have learned a lot of thing that we have brought along with us we didn't need, so we will be repacking the MH, we will also be getting ride of our truck and get a lighter weight car, Craig want's to get rid of his wheelchair and get a bike, he hardly ever uses it and it is a pain to load and unload, we will be getting rid of all the extra tables, lights, clothes, etc., live and learn, but we knew that this first time out you will know what is needed and what isn't! We learned that it isn't like camping, when you put out a lot of lights and decorations, especially when you are traveling and on the move, but when we become camphosts for a month to months at a time we will go ahead and put the mat out the sunscreen, reclining chairs along with the campchairs, maybe even hang a few lights, chimes and our campsigns out!

We will be going home to 50 degrees compared to the 80's so it's going to be some adjusting until it gets warmer out, but they have been having some warm temps so hopefully it will warm back up before too long, the nights are still dipping down to freezing temps yet, brrrr, but that's when you appreciate the bonfires!

Well, getting ready to pack up and head for Ohio, so until next time,

God Bless!

BEAUTIFUL VIRGINIA AND FAMILY!

2012-04-09T07:52:00.001-04:00

OUR MH AT RUSS AND SUSAN'S MANSION!

THEIR POOL, THAT IS THE ALLIGATOR WE GOT THEM!

MISS SASSY!

ME WITH MY FURGRANDBABIES..SASSY..DUDE..AND DESTINY

KEEKEE AND TINY( IN THE FIREPLACE)

CRAIG WITH HIS SISTER ELYSE!

MISS DESTINY!

SUSAN WITH HARRY(THE OLD MAN)

RUSS WITH KEEKEE!

                                       HOPE, THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY
                                        SHE CAME TO THEM NEAR DEATH AND AFTER
                                        SOME LIFE SAVING SURGIES SHE IS HAPPY
                                           AND HEALTHY!

We are having a great time here at our daughter Susan and Russ's beautiful home! They work everyday and let us have the run of the place and what a place it is, I call it the mansion, it is so huge that the rent out two of the rooms to friends, one to Paula and the other to Shawn! They took us out to their favorite hang out at Jolly Roger's Friday night, then Craig's sister Elyse,who also lives in Virginia, showed up Sat. and stayed for Easter Sunday! Russ and Susan are like the hosts of all hosts, we all had a fantastic day! Monday we took them out to Outback Steakhouse for Russ's 50th birthday! But the best of our stay is our grand furbabies! They have 4 dogs, Harry(the old man)a Cocker Spaniel, Sassy and Dude their malteses and rescued Hope a beagle, who came crawling into their yard about 2 months ago and was almost dead, she had tumors hanging off her and several inside, plus the vet thought she may have cancer, plus she was heartworm positive, but that didn't stop Russ and Susan, they told the vet to do what you can do for her, all the tumors were removed and she has no sign of cancer, she is heartworm positive but it is treatable, she is one of the sweetest dogs you could ask for, she's so happy and blends well with the others! Then their is the grandkitties, let's see now if I can get this right..the first one they rescued is KeeKee, then there was Mya(who passed away about a month ago) then Destiny who they found frozen on their front porch about 3 years ago, then their is Scooter that Russ found, then Nacho who passed away about 5 months ago, then they rescued Tiny that they rescued after Nacho passed and beautiful Sophia who was almost ferrel but has turned into a loving pet because of Susan's patience to bring her around! There, I think I got them all! Anyways they are all so affectionate and loving, but the best thing of all is they all get along good together and all sleep in Russ and Susan's bedroom at night, some in bed with them and some on a giant mat on the floor! Susan has found homes for so many homeless dogs and cats that I have lost track of how many! Every pet has a touching story!
I got a call the other day from another state campground in Northern Michigan, we will be camphosting for them also, that is a total of 3 camphost jobs we have now! We will be leaving here Monday and start working our way back to Michigan, plan on being there by Friday, our granddaughter Kennedy's birthday party is Sunday and we want to be there for that! Can't wait to see my family, missed my son's, daughter-in-law and grandkids sooo much! Going to be a wonderful summer! Well, gotta go and get some e-bay items listed! So God Bless!

WE GOT 2 CAMPGROUND HOSTS POSITIONS IN MICHIGAN!!

2012-04-01T10:07:00.000-04:00

Entering South Carolina

Added another State!

Ichetucknee Springs "THE BLUE HOLE! 45' DEEP

Craig swimming by the Blue Hole!

Turtle sunning at Ichetucknee Springs!

"THE SWIMMING SPRINGS"

BEACH VIEW OF OUR FIRST HOST JOB

LIGHTHOUSE AT OUR FIRST GIG!

BEACH SCENE FOR FIRST GIG

BEACH FROM ON SECOND GIG

BELOW IS THE BLUE HOLE CAVE

We left our friends Annette and Barry's in Homasassa Florida after being there for a couple of weeks, had such a good time with them, couldn't ask for better hosts and friends, we left there and headed for a camground in Branford about 100 miles from Homasassa! Branford was a place my husband lived for a couple of years in his youth, he wanted to revisit Ichetucknee Springs and his old rental house, well, the house was torn down, so we went to the Springs, they were awesome, there is a cave under water called the blue hole and the water was so clear you could see all the way to the bottom, but I was surprised at how small it was, you had to walk about 1 mile to see the blue hole and the swimming springs were about 2 blocks but very small for swimming! Craig swam by the blue hole for old times sake, I watched and videoed it, lol, I can't swim and it was very deep! We left there and stopped to visit my childhood friend Maria and her husband Wayne, visited for about 2 hrs. before we had to leave, they have a beautiful home and we had a wonderful visit! We left there and stayed at the Harmony Lake campground in Georgia, beautiful campground with a lake, but it was so tight that we could hardly get our slide out and the bugs were horrible! But it was just for the night we got in late and were exhausted so we didn't sit outside anyways! We decided to get off the road early yestesterday because Craig's back was bothering him and he just wanted to get off the road and rest up a bit, we are at the Lake Marion Resort & Marina campground in Santee South Carolina, nice place with a pool, putt-putt golf, a fishing lake and has cabins for rent and not as many bugs! We will be leaving here around 10 or 11 today, hoping to make it to my daughter Susan's by tonight, but we still have almost 300 miles yet to go, we don't like driving that many miles in a day, to hard on the motorhome and us! So we will play it by ear and see what happens!  We are so excited to see her, her husband, our granddogs and grandcats and their new home!
We got two great camphost positions in Michigan, the first one is right on lake Huron on the edge of the bay. The park contains 183 acres situated on the end of a sandy bay. It has been referred to as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest", where the water is shallow and warm for swimming. We start there on May 31st to July 14th! Such a beautiful place and all we do is smile and greet campers, check the bathrooms to see if they need cleaning and let "THE RANGERS" know so they can clean it, no more cleaning or physical labor for us anymore, Craig can't anyways with arithis in his shoulders now, they said all we have to do is smile and be friendly, have coffee hour every Saturday and enjoy talking with the kids and people in general, well, talking is what I do best, Craig has lots to share about his experiences with nature! Our second camphost gig is Aug. 27th to Oct. 9th on a 1000 acre park with almost one mile of shoreline along a beautiful lake. It has 400 modern, hardwood-shaded campsites, a mini-cabin, sandy beach, fishing, boat launch, picnic area. Self-guided nature trail. Ungroomed trails for hiking ,rowboats, canoes, paddleboats, small motorboat and pontoon rentals and a metal detecting area. We will be there for their fall festival where campers decorate their campsites for Halloween, we will be helping with games for the kids and passing out treats that are provided by the rangers and again they want us to just put on a smiling face and greet everyone coming in, no cleaning or physical labor! It is what we have prayed for, we realized after being in housekeeping in Texas it wasn't what we wanted and when Craig's shoulders began to give him pain and his arms were going numb, we realized physically he couldn't do it, his doctors told him he will lose the use of his arms permanently if he continued doing that kind of work! We knew that financially we had to do something or we wouldn't be able to continue this lifestyle, especially with the price of gas, also we can only stay in a state campground for 2 weeks and would have to move, well, this way we can stay longer and not have to pay! LIFE IS GOOD! We are signed up for their camphost classes at Higgins lake for two days, they will provide us with a campsite for 4 days free while we attend classes plus all meals for the two days of the classes! This will also look good on our resume! I will let everyone know the name of the Campgrounds as soon as we are for sure locked in, we have signed the contracts so we know we got them but feel it is best to wait for now! We also have reserved a 10 day stay at Bay City State Park in July with our sons and their families, which will be inbetween gigs, this way we will be close to home and get Craig's veteran's visits taken care of but most of all we will be around the kids,grandkids,family and friends, plus we can take care of business around town also! We will probably being staying there also as soon as we are done with our classes, our granddaughters birthday party is May 21st and my grandson's 4th birthday is on the 17th, plus my son's birthday on the 11th! So as you can see April is going to be an important month for us!  We have missed my family so much and realize how important quality time is with them, next fall we plan on camphosting in Florida for the winter, not that far from Michigan that way, plus with the price of gas it will be financially more affordable!
           Well, time to pack up and head out to our next adventure! Until next time God Bless!

Heading for Virginia Soon!

2012-03-26T18:23:00.001-04:00

MONKEY ISLAND

CRAIG ENJOYING THE VIEW

OUR CAPTAIN BARRY AND THAT'S MIKE IN THE BACKGROUND!

GETTING SOME RAYS!

CRAIG ENJOYING THE DAY

MY FRIEND ANNETTE WITH TRIXIE AND ME!
BELOW; ME AND LENNY IN ANNETTE'S POOL

Had a great time here with our friends Annette, Barry and Richard for the last two weeks, they made us feel so welcome and had a lot of fun! Went out in Barry's boat and seen dolphins in the wild, it was so very awesome, enjoyed the best pizza ever, oh, can't forget Trisha and Mike, Annette's daughter and boyfriend, had some fantastic meals together. But it is time to move on now because we got a new gig in Michigan as campground hosts, we have to be back in Michigan by April 25th for our camphost training for two days! So we are leaving Thursday morning and heading for Virginia, we want to stay at Ichetucknee Springs by Lake City before we leave Florida, then we want to stay a night in each of the Carolina's also, hoping to get to Virginia by Sunday or Monday! My daughter and her husband have been working there butts off getting their already beautiful home in shape before we get there! We also want to be back in time for our granddaughter Kennedy and grandson's Blaken's birthdays in April, my son Richard's is on the 11th but can't possibly make it by then! Have missed too many birthdays and holidays but will soon be home to celebrate the summer together, my son Matt and daughter-in-law Courtney have already got a new tent and all that goes with it so we can spend as much time together as we can, called my son Richard and told him to pick up a tent also, he was going to get one in the next couple of days! I believe a family that camps together stays together, lol, nothing like bonding in the woods!
I have been busy listing a lot on e-bay and selling quite a bit, but problem is I have bought a lot while here and now have to make room for it all! But, hey, it's gas money! Can't wait to hit the road again, getting hitch-itch! I can't wait to see my daughter and son-in-laws new home, can't wait to hold my grandbabies again, been a long winter for them, but am proud how they all survived some rough times while we were gone, they are tougher then I thought! Well, supper is ready, so until next time, God Bless!

TEXAS, LOUISIANA,MISSISSIPPI, ARKANSAS, FLORIDA!

2012-03-15T20:05:00.001-04:00

HELLO ALABAMA & FLORIDA

CRAIG AND LENNY ON THE BEACH OF THE GULF OF MEXICO IN MISSISSIPPI!

ME AND LENNY ON THE BEACH TOO!

OUR DOLPHIN WAITING FOR US!

A BUTTE IN TEXAS!

MY DASH WITH ALL THE BOOKS I USE!

HELLO LOUISIANA

CAMPGROUND IN LOUISIANA

HELLO MISSISSIPPI!

ENTERING MISSISSIPPI!

ADDING ARKANSAS AND FLORIDA TO OUR MAP

SUNSET IN FLORIDA CAMPGROUND!

Left Arizona a week ago, took us 3 days to get thru Texas, and 4 to get thru the rest, we left Mississippi this morning and went thru Arkansas and made it to Florida today! Louisana was so so, a lot of swamps, but we didn't drive thru New Orleans because of the flooding going on there right now, Mississippi was beautiful, we drove along the coast and stayed at a the Buckaneer's State Park, in was right on the Gulf of Mexico, beautiful, we could of stayed on the gulf side for $15 more, but it was very foggy out and couldn't see much anyways until morning when the fog cleared it was and it was awesome, the sand is so white and the water is so clean! We finally was able to stop alone the road and walk on the beach, looked just like the beaches in the Caribbean! Was only in Mississippi about 2 hours and Arkansas for about an hour and a half, we drove along the bottom of each state on I-10! Made good time today, should make it to our friends in Homosassa by late tomorrow or early Sat.
I included a picture of all the books I have on my dash, I use everyone of them, Woodalls is for letting me know where every campground is in every state, most even have the prices, I use the Next Exit so we know what is off each exit, gas stations, camping, stores, restaurants,etc. I use the Walmart book so if we need to boondock or need a few items I know where everyone is in every state and last but not least is our Escapee's book, we are skp members and get up to half off rv resorts that honor our memberships, we have saved a lot of money this way, helps a lot, especially with the cost of gas right now, we are paying between $3.56 to $3.89 a gallon and it is a killing us, there are days when we are putting $200 a day in the tank! Hoping and praying the fuel prices go down by the time we leave Florida! We try to save by eating most meals in the motorhome or fast food places, we stay only at state parks or Skp parks! Been cutting back on the souvenirs too! But we will be staying put at our friends for about 2 weeks before we head to our daughters in Virginia, that will save us a lot on gas, we will give them money towards our expense for staying there! I also use travel books from AAA travel. Well, tired and ready to hit the bed! Until the next time God Bless!

GOOD BYE ARIZONA! HELLO NEW MEXICO!

2012-03-10T10:14:00.000-05:00

HELLO NEW MEXICO!

A TEEPEE IN NEW MEXICO!

OUR CAMPHOST READY TO SHOW US OUR SITE!

TWO STRANGE BIRDS, THINK THE ARE FLY CATCHER BIRDS!

Had a great time in Arizona with family but time to move on, having a bad attack of hitch-inch! We left Arizona Thur. around 11:00, stayed at Saguro SKP(escapees) Co-op resort in Benson, Az, because we are Escapee members we stayed for $15 plus electricity which was on $2.50. Left there around 11am Fri. and headed for New Mexico! The wind was horrible plus we were really pushing the motorhome up some pretty high mountains, so we decided to quit driving around 4 pm and settle down for the night, found another SKP park for only $16 a night including electric at Low Hi RV Ranch in Deming, NM. Both were nice parks but still love State Campgrounds the most, resorts are like living in a trailor park, where state campgrounds are more with nature and usually more scenic! Temperture dropped down to the 30's last night, going to be raining and only in the 50's today! Should be in Texas today and Craig said it will take us about 3 days to get thru it, hoping to be in Florida by the 17th, where we plan on staying for a couple of weeks and visit our friends Annette and Barry, then head for Virginia to see our daughter Susan and Russ, stay there until the end of April then head for Michigan. Got a bite on a couple camphost positions, we have decided to go for the camphost positions only, less physical labor, so we are going for state campground camphosts only! We are looking into the Bay City and Caseville area in Michigan and for next fall the Homossasa area in Florida! With the price of gas possibly going as high as $5 a gal. we are not going too far from home, Mich. for the summer months and Florida for the winter months! We have been pretty lucky with the gas prices so far, it was up to $4.05 in Arizona when we left, we were able to fill up for $3.77 and $3.61 so far, still a lot but prices are getting lower as we head east! Gas prices are one of the reasons we decided to find only escapees and state campgrounds to stay at, gotta cut cost somewhere, plus finding camphosting positions will help also! But the biggst reason to stay in Mich. and Florida we will still be closer to our kids and grandkids, miss them all so much, but have to admit how proud I am of all of them, they have made it thru some very hard times since we left and have done ok, a couple of times I was ready to fly home but was told not to worry that everything will be ok! And they were, I pray EVERY NIGHT for them and am so proud to see how well they have handled everything that camp up, my boys were there for each other, big brother was there for his little brother and vice versa!
Their sister Susan and husband Russ have been there for us and her brother, love them all so much! Well, gotta get packed up and get out of here, believe it or not it is snowing, only light flurries but it's still snow, time to move on! UGH!!!! Texas here we come!

QUARTZSIDE, PARKER, LAKE HAVASU!

2012-02-27T17:05:00.000-05:00

Camping in the valley at River Island State Campground

The beach, that is California across the Colorado River

More veiws from the beach!

Craig walking on the beach!

Hi, been awhile since I have been on here, but lots to catch up on! We left Wellton Az. at his Aunt and Uncle and Dad and Step-Mom for about 2 weeks and went to check out Quartzside for about 5 days, which we found out later was too long! We stayed at Rose's Campground, which is not that fancy, but was close to the flea market, lot's of dealers but they are saying it is about 75% down from what it use to be, but found a few things to buy and send to the grandkids, one neat thing Craig found was a Stump Stove, it was a log that was hollowed out and they gave you a tube of jelled alcohol that you squirted into the log, then lit it and it would burn between 2 to 3 hours, depended on what size you got! We liked it so well that we went back the next day to get another one, but the dealer was gone! Then we headed for Parker to the River Lake State Campground and what a beautiful place, we reserved 4 days but liked it so much that we reserved another 4 days, we were right across the river from California and we had mountains all around us, internet or phone didn't come in good, but believe it or not satellite did come in, even among the mountains! We were on the Colorado River, which is a beautiful turquoise color! I even got brave enough to climb the mountain, one of the things on my bucket list, Craig went part way with me and even climbed a small mountain that over-looked the river! He even got to check out a cave! I went on to the largest mountain overlooking our campsite! I had to climb two mountains to get to the biggest one! I almost didn't do it, looked like it was way to high, but I thought of my Dad and Craig who would have loved to climb it but because of their bad knees couldn't, so I did it for them, when I finally made it to the top I could see our campsite and there was Craig and Lenny looking up, he took my picture, then I sit down and cried it was something I have always wanted to do and here I am 62 years old and I did it! I was sore for a couple of days but it was so worth it!

Craig checking out a cave! And above our campsite!

Camp on a small mountain over looking the Colorado River

Craig checking out the cave

Me and Lenny on the small mountain overlooking California

Me at the top of the big mountain, had to climb 2 small mountains to get to this one, it is overlooking our campsite!

The moutain I climbed!

We then went to Lake Havasu and spent the day there, seen and crossed the London Bridge! It is a beautiful place, on the way back we crossed a bridge in Parker over to California and I kept seeing signs about wild donkey crossing and then I seen them, they were everywhere! Thought that was pretty awesome!

Was able to cross into California from Parker only a 5 mile trip!

Craig checking out the London Bridge!

Me checking out the London Bridge

Wild Donkeys in California!

Just me in California! Loved this tree!

We were even able to go to the local casino a couple of times, pretty much broke even, but we felt that being there was taking us away from the beautiful outdoors! But fianlly decided to head back to Wellton and spend some more time with the family for a couple more weeks, Craig's sister is going to be here this Sunday and stay until the following Sat., then we will be heading along the southern coast towards Florida, stay there for about a week, then on to Virgina to my daughters then hope to be back in Michigan by May 1st! As soon as we are on the road again, will be blogging about our travels!

STILL IN ARIZONA AT CRAIG'S FAMILY!

2012-01-31T11:31:00.000-05:00

Craig talking to his Dad and Uncle Carl

Their Beautiful home & Dad's motorhome

The patio above and Craig in the hot tub below

Aunt Lynn, Craig, Dad and Lindsay

Craig with Aunt Coralee, Aunt Lynn and Uncle Grant

Niece Lindsay with us!

Silly Aunt Lynn and Uncle Carl

We have been here at Craig's family for a week today, and what a week it has been, enjoying family and getting re-aquainted. Craig hadn't seen his Dad and step-mom Zelda in over 10 years and his Aunts in over 40 years, plus he is meeting Uncles for the first time! What a wonderful family, Craig's niece even drove over from Phoenix to meet everyone! They have showed us a wonderful time, took us to a huge flea market, to church, cooked us all a few fantastic meals, played some Uno (I missed out on that, got sick) going to go to Mexico yet, there will be a big Superbowl party Sunday, going to go watch Dad,Zelda and Uncle Carl play in their band, they have even cut a few CDs! Craig's Aunt and Uncle live on a golf course in a beautiful southwest styled home with a pool and a hot tub, a beautiful patio that we have spent many days and evenings on, I swear it is like living on at a resort! They go out of their way to make us feel at home, they are such genuine people and truly love having us here! We will be leaving here Monday morning and heading south toward Phoenix where I will meet up with my Grandson Nathan and my best friends daughter Tricia! Then taking our time going to Florida to our friend Annette's! Hoping the price of gas goes down before we leave, it is $3.59 a gallon here right now, thinking because it is a small town and prices will lower as we travel south and east!
Well, that is all for now, here it is 9:30 and I'm not even dressed yet!

KARCHNER CAVERNS S.P. AND TOMBSTONE!

2012-01-26T10:31:00.000-05:00

BOOTHILL, TOMBSTONE

TOMBSTONE

HAVING LUNCH AT A SALOON

ME WITH TWO BAD GUYS!

ENJOYING A DRINK AT AT THE SILVER NUGGET

SILVER NUGGET SALOON AND FAMOUS BIRD CAGE THEATER

They found bones from a giant sloth like this in the Caverns

Finally am able to get on here, been in the mountains and weak internet! But the beauty of the places we have been staying is worth the sacrifices of no internet, no phones or no satellite! We stayed at the Kartchnes Caverns State Park and went thru the caverns, had to push Craig in a wheelchair, but well worth the trip. The we headed for Tombstone! Best time ever, seen they famous shot out that started in the streets and then followed it to the Ok corral! This town is awesome and you acturally feel like you went back in time! Everyone should go here at least once! Then we moved on to Picacho Peak State Park for a night, what a beautiful park!

CRAIG IN FRONT OF A HUGE CACTUS

BREATH TAKING SUNSET!

BARREL CACTUS THAT LOOKS LIT UP AT SUNSET

ENJOYING A CAMPFIRE!

CRAIG AND LENNY ENJOYING THE FIRE!

BEAUTIFUL SCENE!

We left Picacho Peak and heading for Welltons by Yuma to see Craig's father and step-mom at his Aunt Lynn and Uncle Carl's place, been about 15 years since we seen them! Beautiful people and home, they are letting us park here and use their electric and water! Feel right at home here! Well, gotta go for now and do some banking and mail some packages! Later!

CAVERNS OF SONORA & BALMORHEA STATE PARK

2012-01-19T20:42:00.000-05:00

Caverns of Sonora RV Park

Wasn't able to get on the internet for a couple of days, we left Garner State Park on Monday and headed for Caverns of Sonora RV park, it just happened to be have was to Balmorhea State Park and we just wanted to stay one night to rest up! It was a nice little park, with peacocks, goats, guinnie hens and herds of deer roaming around, it was only $15 to stay, there was only about 10 fhu sites but at least they were pull-thrus, but most of them were in pretty bad shape! We were going to go check out the caverns but they said it was about 350 steps and there is no way Craig would be able to make it thru, he told me to go ahead if I wanted to, I laughed and said, don't feel bad, not sure I could make it either! So we got up early and were back on the road and entering Big Bend Country, talk about beautiful county, OMG! Mountains and hills, took my breath away, Craig didn't like driving in the hills but I video taped everything, couldn't get enough of them!

BIG BEND COUNTRY!

Balmorhea State Park

Balmorhea State Park was beautiful with a nature spring fed pool! The 77,053 square ft San Solomon Spring is the focal point of Balmorhea State Park. From 22 to 28 million gallons of water flow through the spring-fed swimming pool each day. Other CCC structures in the park include a limestone concession building, two wooden bathhouses, an adobe superintendent residence, and San Solomon Courts, an early expression of the modern-day motel, constructed of adobe bricks. All of the CCC buildings are constructed in a Spanish Colonial style with stucco exteriors and tile roofs.

Craig was even able to go snorkling in the pool, it was 3' to 20' deep with fish, ducks and turtles, even snakes, that was enough info to keep me out of the pool, plus it was only about 55 degrees out, but the temperture of the water is 72 degrees all year round, but still once you get out of the water you would freeze and of course there was the snakes, lol! We stayed 2 days and left this morning so we would be in El Paso by the afternoon because Craig has to go to a Vet's hospital to get his medication! So we are at the Mission RV Park, no not the one we left two weeks ago, a different one! It's ok here, expensive, about $34 a night, more then we usually pay but it has cable, internet, a heated pool, dog walk, laundromat and gift shop, but most of all it has a Walmart, Walgreen and a Vet's clinic/hospital so we can get all our personnal care taken care of!

Worst thing is that the gas prices are going up, we paid $3.59 a gallon for gas, highest we ever paid, cost $175 to fill the MH up, eats it up fast when you are going up and down the mountains! We will stay here until all our business is taken care of, then on to New Mexico for a couple of days then to Yuma to meet up with Craig's Dad, been along time since we seen him and are really looking forward to it!

Well, I will try to get on here when we get into New Mexico, so until then, have a great day!

THE ALAMO!

2012-01-15T15:46:00.001-05:00

We went to San Antonio to see the Alamo, about a 90 mile trip from our campsite! Even with a GPS we got lost once we in the city, finally found it and then had to find a parking spot, paid $8 to park in an old gas station, but it was right across the road so Craig didn't have to walk too far! I have to admit I was disappointed by all the visitors and gift shop, very commercialized! But I also realized we were on hallowed ground where history was made, it seemed that the events surrounding the spring of 1836 had just been cleaned up and the characters had been removed, I was humbled and reminded that what we are and how we as a nation came by the blood, sweat and tears of so many brave men that died and gave their lives for what they believed it! I felt the ghosts of Texans and Americans were looking on waiting to be recognized for their sacrifice and appreciation in this "hallowed" place. There were people from all over the world fought there, Denmark, England, Scotland, Wales, etc., that was so amazing to me! Maybe a little too commercialized but very intact! I was impressed by the well and a huge Live Oak tree, took a couple pictures of it, but when I looked it up once we got home and I found out that the well was never at the Alamo, not even close to the well they used! I felt why would they put something there that didn't belong, wasn't there enough history there already? I would have took pictures of more things that were a genuine part of the Alamo! I also wanted to take a few pictures inside but wasn't allowed, but I understand and respected their request, but I did see several people taking pictures, guess they couldn't read! Originally the Mission San Antonio del Valero, the Alamo is by far the most famous historical site in Texas, playing a significant role in Texas' quest for independence from Mexico. Under the command of Col. William Travis, 189 Texan soldiers bravely defended this fort for 13 days before finally succumbing to Santa Anna's massive Mexican army in early 1836. The chapel and the Long Barrack are all that remain of the fort. Saved from civilian apathy by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the mission is now a museum containing relics from the era. Texans take the Alamo very seriously!
We were going to check out the boardwalk but being in downtown San Antonio was a nightmare, it is exactly what we try to avoid! So once we seen the Alamo we left! Enjoyable ride there and back but were happy to be back to our quiet little world! Roasted hot dogs over an open fire and went for a walk down a trail with a bird viewing house! I have also seen so many deer around here, I thought they were large fawns with all those spots and Craig told me they were fallow deer, I also seen a albino deer also, but by the time I got my camera out it was gone!

We will be leaving here tomorrow morning and head toward New Mexico then Arizona, plan on taking our time and enjoy ourselves! To tell you the truth I am getting a little hitch-itch and am ready to hit the road again! Besides we have no phone service here and internet comes and goes, need to be someplace so I can keep in touch with the kids and grandkids! So until next time, God Bless!