RV Vagabonds

The Cutest Video Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:57:00 +0000

Blah

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:33:00 +0000

Lord love a duck! That's an ugly one, isn't it? It's a Muscovy duck at a campground in Louisiana. In case you wanted to know.

Yesterday Denny and I officially became Texans. Well, not really, because we have yet to own cowboy boots and hats. That will come I suppose, since the new fifth wheel will have a larger closet. We celebrated at a small restaurant in Coldspring, TX; a tiny town with a huge courthouse. It was the kind of place where the locals got their own table settings and autographed pictures of George *. Bush lined the walls.

Gremlins are still affecting our lives; yesterday we stopped at the post office to pick up our mail and when we returned to the truck it wouldn't turn over--it acted totally dead. I'm searching through the owner's manual trying to look up a symbol that appeared on the electronic instrument panel while Denny sat there cussing (always helpful). Eventually the truck started and we had no further problems for the remainder of our day. I've become a little frustrated with the weirdness, though.

One thing that did go well was the upgrading of Denny's new laptop to Windows 7. When we purchased the computer it came with a coupon for a free upgrade so when the DVD arrived yesterday I girded my loins and installed it. Perhaps it's because we haven't put a lot of our own programs in the laptop yet, but the installation went flawlessly and all the programs still work. Big sigh of relief!

Since the weather forecast is for more rain, I'll get back to rooting through drawers and cupboards to see what else we're hauling around that we don't really use. Now if I could just get Denny to go through his stuff....

The Rain Isn't Helping

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:45:00 +0000

Nice sunset, huh? Haven't seen one of those for a couple of days. It's been raining like crazy here in Louisiana and we've been experiencing a lot of frustration with our trailer gremlins.

When we arrived here our landing jacks wouldn't lower, which meant the batteries weren't working on their own. Trying to replace special batteries in a small town isn't easy but I found a business that said they had what we needed. And here's where the fun began. The owner of the business and Denny didn't hit it off for some reason; they were like two junkyard dogs confronting each other. Then the man tells us that his credit card machine isn't working and so we have to pay in cash. Great. These are expensive batteries and there's a limit to our ATM withdrawals to prevent fraud. We manage to come up with enough cash to pay for the batteries, go back and pick them up (now the guy is trying to be nice to us) and we get theme home. The rain is pouring down the entire time as we're going in and out, mind you. Denny gets the batteries in, I make lunch but notice the refrigerator light is glaring bright, as are the overhead fluorescent fixtures. All of a sudden one fixture goes out. Okay, the bulbs went bad. Then the other light fixture goes out. Uh-oh, this isn't good. Denny goes outside to look at the batteries, I call the store where we bought them to confirm he sold us 6 volt batteries. Nope, he sold us 12 volt batteries, so instead of 12 volts going through the system we have 24 volts going through. So we zapped the light fixtures. Okay, re-cabled to hook up only one battery, the owner is special ordering two 6 volt batteries and now I have to find new light fixtures, otherwise it's going to be pretty darn dark in here at night. Call the Camping World that's 35 miles away, ask if they have the lights in stock. No, not the same model number but some that would work. And so we drive over there (still pouring rain) only to find that no, these will not work AT ALL! Drive all the way back home and call the manufacturer. There are two distributors; one in Indiana and one in California. Of course. I call the one in Indiana and reached a very nice man and we did some reminiscing about a local celebrity that had the last name of Braun. The man did have our lights and will be shipping them to Texas for us. It will just be a bit dark in here for a while, we can swap out the fixture in the bedroom for one of the living room fixtures so it won't be quite as dark as it is now.

Therefore, the lesson is; don't make assumptions that store owners know what they are doing. Check and double-check. And ask if they can take credit cards. *sigh*

And please let this be the end of the weirdness going on now that we've found a buyer for the trailer??!!!

Men Are From Mars

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:16:00 +0000

I should have gotten a picture; we had a repairman out fixing a broken spring latch in our awning. It's a repair you don't want to do on your own due to the danger of the tightly wound spring, plus there are no RV parts places nearby. So the gentleman who works out of our campground got the part for us and stopped by with it today to install it and before long there was a crowd of men in front of our trailer. Just supervising, of course. Bored, curious, just wanting to help or wanting free advice from the repairman while he was "in the area" as it were, there were five or six guys there at any given time for the duration of the repair.

This gathering of men is a routine phenomenon in campgrounds; raise the hood of your truck and two or three guys will wander over, one of them offering a bigger, more powerful version of whatever tool or device you have in your hand. Climb a ladder and wax your rig and there's a discussion of oxidation removers, the best wax/polish or dry-washing system or chamois versus microfiber as polishing cloths. It's as if men need an excuse to congregate and chat, whereas women will just stop and be neighborly because you step outside for a moment. It tickles me every time I see it happen.

It takes so little to entertain me.

Not There

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:45:00 +0000

I see y'all were checking in yesterday; still looking for the Lazy Sunday posts? Yeah, that ain't happening. This year I took relatively few pictures since we really haven't traveled; we were in one place in Ohio for eight months dealing with my mother and afterwards her estate and that didn't make for shots of scenic vistas, believe me.

Lately we've been preoccupied with the old and the new trailers. En route to our current campground we had a tire blow on the interstate (fortunately we both heard the "pop" and stopped quickly before the tire self-destructed) and the gremlins have set in now that we have found a buyer for the old trailer. You know, little things have started to go wrong that we'll now have to fix before turning the trailer over to the new owner. Seven years of constant usage and thousands of miles of road travel will do that; things are bound to jiggle their way loose.

Therefore we're going to be busy ordering a new tire, fixing the glitches, finding campgrounds in Illinois and Indiana and Arkansas that will be open mid-winter for our trip up and back to Indiana (campgrounds close due to the fact that their water lines freeze up if not properly buried, insulated or drained) and digging through cupboards, closets and drawers seeing what we can get rid of before we have to transfer items out of one trailer and into another. Because carrying boxes and drawers full of "stuff" down three steps from one rig and up three steps to another for hours gets very wearing. This will be the fourth time we've switched belongings from one RV to another and it ain't fun. You think you lead a simple life with very few belongings other than the necessities, but it's pretty amazing how many necessities there are. Each transfer has taken us two days just to move everything from one rig to the next and that's just hauling the stuff out and in. That doesn't include having to put it all away in a new place, and then moving a lot of it again later because you rushed it to get out of the dealer's lot and back on the road and wherever you put it at the time is really not convenient or logical. Yeah, been there, done that.

All of which should explain the lack of scenic photographs and lyrical posts about the beauty of the area. At least for now.

Oops, I Did It Again

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:13:00 +0000

I said I wasn't going to plan our routes well in advance again. But it's hard not to in the wintertime when there's a ton of snowbirds out there vying for the same campsites that you are. So I plotted and planned and mapped and routed and made reservations and.....three days ago we ordered a new fifth wheel which will be ready December 17. In Elkhart, Indiana. And we'll be in Conroe, Texas, getting our driver's licenses changed over from Ohio (mine expires in December). Distance from Conroe to Elkhart, IN? 1150 miles, more or less. 8 days before Christmas. So much for spending Christmas in San Antonio visiting the River Walk. That ain't happening. As a matter of fact, Christmas may be spent inside a service facility moving things from one trailer to the other and testing all the pieces parts to make sure everything works as it is supposed to before heading back towards Texas. And crossing our fingers that the typical Midwest winters hold off until we can get out of Dodge.

I knew better.

While You Were Sleeping

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:52:00 +0000

In no particular order--dawn at Myrtle Beach on two different mornings.

The Party's Over

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:56:00 +0000

What a great looking group, eh? (That's a nod to our new Canadian friends in the group). Gary, Donna, John, Denny, me, Dee, Dan, Don and Vicki. We were apre' Happy Hour and pre-dinner at this point. John and Gary cooked ribs on the grill, Don grilled burgers, and we all brought side dishes. It was our last hurrah, as Denny and I, Don and Vick and Dee and Dan all left Myrtle Beach today. Denny and I headed towards Savannah, the other two couples were going to northern Georgia to sit facing a lake and continue the party.

We're talking about all meeting up same place, same time next year. Denny and I would still be in Seattle, Washington in early September and that's a long haul to get to MB by the first week of October. But oh, what a month it was here at the beach, even if it was a month of not really doing anything. And that makes that prospective cross country trek sound awfully tempting despite the miles.

Adios, Myrtle Beach.

A Day Brightener

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:58:00 +0000

I wish I had had the nerve to ask the lady if I could take her picture.

Denny and I were at the post office sending some items off which necessitated a rather involved transaction. Suddenly I heard this syrupy voice behind me teasing the postal employees at the counter and was intrigued, but too busy to look behind me.

As we left the post office, however, the owner of that thick Southern drawl was in front of us and what a vision she was; black gauzy skirt covered around the hips with a pink lacy shawl, black sparkly knit top, pink and black tooled leather boots and a pink straw cowgirl hat with a big, glittery pink flower on the hatband. Pink eyeshadow, catwoman eyeliner, full makeup, long dark hair pulled back; the complete package. I complimented her on her colorful outfit and she replied that she owned a dance studio for many years and was used to "costumes" so she continued to wear them to make people smile. Make me smile she did, and I thanked her for brightening my day. She said she knew if I saw her again, I'd remember her and I said yes indeed I would.

I wish I had a little of that courage or that joie de vivre myself.

There Are Places

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:03:00 +0000

Our Happy Hour group gathered for a Low Country Boil tonight; good friends, good food, good times. Talk turned to places we would live, maybe, if we were to settle down eventually. Where would it be?

There are town and places we like, places that are beautiful, places that have have good climate, places that are affordable. But as I was walking Patches after leaving our gathering, looking up at the stars here at Myrtle Beach, I realized there there are a few places where, once I arrive, I literally feel my heart expand. It is a physical feeling of my chest opening up, my heart enlarging, my soul becoming at peace. Three places come to mind where that feeling is strongest; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Perdido Key/Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Gold Canyon, Arizona. Two places on the ocean, one at my beloved Superstition Mountains. We have not yet traveled to all 50 states so I may yet find more places that tug at my heart but these three come to mind as places where I can sit for weeks without feeling the urge to move on. Will there be more? Undoubtedly. Will we settle down? Not for a while.

What place tugs at your heart?

Moments at Myrtle Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:42:00 +0000

Our time here at the beach has passed so quickly. We gather nightly to share drinks, food and stories with a group of six to nine people, sometimes around the campfire, sometimes at a restaurant, sometimes at a bar. We come from different backgrounds, different occupations, different countries, but it doesn't matter. We're on the beach, we travel in RVs, and we're friends. It doesn't get any better than that.

An Update

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:23:00 +0000

SkippyMom mentioned she needed an update on the Happy Hour menu for tonight. Tonight a group of 8 of us will be going to the Liberty Steakhouse to partake of their BOGOF offer on entrees. So I'm not sure what the drink of the day will be until we see their menu.

In the meantime, over the past two weeks we've had: Calypso Margaritas, Blue Moon Margaritas, Blue Chouters, frozen margaritas, Mojitos, Amaretto Sours, Jellyfish Shooters, Cabernet Savignon, Bourbon and 7, beer (for the guys)Drunken Arnies, Palisades, Tequila Sunrises, Beachy Keens and Cosmopolitans. I'm sure Vicki will remind me of any I have missed; we've repeated the Amaretto Sours a couple of times. I have to come up with a new one for tomorrow since another couple will be arriving tonight to join the crowd. Plus a new hors d'oeuvres to go with it.

Hmmmm. I think perhaps some Honolulu Hammers might hit the spot.

I Don't Normally Do These

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:08:00 +0000

These survey/questionnaire thingies, that is. But because I'm sitting here with a cat on my lap and can't get up to refresh my cup of coffee, here goes.

1. Where is your cell phone? Umm, in my purse? I need a tether for it.
2. Your hair? Bedhead spiky at the moment.
3. Your mother? Lost her this spring, carry her in my heart.
4. Your father? Deceased
5. Your favorite food? In which food group category? There are so many!
6. Your dream last night? No clue.
7. Your favorite drink? Whatever is up for our Happy Hour group for that night.
8. Your goal? No regrets.
9. What room are you in? Office/living room/dining room/kitchen. It's an RV, remember?
10. Your hobby? Making jewelry.
11. Your fear? Falling.
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Still on the road, healthy and having fun.
13. Where were you last night? Scatori's for subs (aka heros or hoagies, depending on where you are from)
14. Something you aren't? A math wiz
15. Muffins? Pistachio from Lowe's Foods
16. Wish list item? To go back to Hawaii some day.
17. Where did you grow up? Ohio
18. Last thing you did? Watched the sun rise.
19. What are you wearing? A fuzzy bathrobe.
20. Your TV? Off.
21. Your pets? The evil Miss Patches Mae.
22. Your friends? Close by.
23. Your life? Pretty darn good at the moment.
24. Your mood? Laid back.
25. Missing someone? Oh yeah.
26. Vehicle? One
27. Something you're not wearing? Makeup.
28. Your favorite store? Any place with diamonds.
29. Your favorite color? Depends on my mood.
30. When was the last time you laughed? Last night.
31. Last time you cried? Hard? In March. Watery-eyed? At least every other day.
32. Your best friend? Big D.
33. One place that I go over and over? Myrtle Beach.
34. One person who emails me regularly? Vic.
35. Favorite place to eat? Santino's Pizzeria, Clermont, FL

And that is that.

2009 Heart Ride on the Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:33:00 +0000

Mea culpa, mea culpa. Yesterday we spent much of the day with friends and I lost track of which day it was, so I missed the parade and costume contest for the annual Heart Ride on the Beach. Today it was miserable with a misty rain and fog, which muted the colors of the horses and riders so I didn't take even 1/3 the photographs that I did last year. Those pictures that I did take you can find on Webshots here. If that doesn't work, look for tags of horses, or heart ride on the beach or albums by vagabrauns. I'm currently working on uploading photos and they should all be online by tomorrow evening.

This evening was Halloween at the campground; our group of five rigs full of campers had happy hour together and we gathered at one site with our bags of candy for the campground "beggers" to visit. It would have been better if they had come earlier so we could have seen them; by the time they got to our location it was pitch black and we couldn't appreciate their costumes. But we had fun and the kids made out like bandits with the candy so everyone was happy.

Highlights of a Day on the Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Horse owners from all over the eastern part of the U.S and some from Canada have arrived at Lakewood Campground in Myrtle Beach for the annual Heart Ride on the Beach. The campground donates the camping fees to the American Heart Association and the riders pay a fee to attend which is also donated, along with any donations they collect for riding the ten miles up the beach on Saturday. Horses and riders of every shape, color, breed and form are here and it's fun to just haul a lawn chair to the beach to sit and watch the riders pass by.

Notice how this pretty fellow posed for me?

Look closely to see the Jack Russell terrier riding on the back of the second horse.

Some people walk their dogs when they ride, others walk their ponies.

It appears this young lady's mount is a small mule, the first I've ever seen.

Horses can be like dogs; they like to roll on their back in the sand. Which can be unfortunate for the rider on its back.

When a rider is thrown (her horse was the one that rolled above) other riders gather 'round to make sure both the rider and horse are okay and will stand by until the rider is mounted once again.

A blue-eyed beauty.

It looks like the horse is puzzled by the fishermen, doesn't it?

Beach Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:25:00 +0000

Yes indeed, we've been having beach weather here and it's been wonderful. Denny and I are backed up to Don and Vicki's site so that we both have a view of the ocean from our living area windows. Mornings I'm up early enough to watch for a good sunrise and will call Vicki if I think the view will be worth her getting up that early (at her request, of course). We walk the beach, looking for shark's teeth and beach glass, spend a little time apart in the afternoon (okay, Denny and I take a nap) and then we meet up again for happy hour and dinner either at one of our trailers or out somewhere. So far, Denny and I fit in a round of golf with former work friends who were visiting in North Myrtle Beach, we've shopped, gotten hair cuts, done some maintenance on the trailer and spent an afternoon at the big outdoor flea market buying bits of jewelry, luxurious shea butter body cream, "magic" shammies and whatever strikes our fancy. In a way, when we come down here we're "on vacation"; we spend much more money on our campsite and shopping and dining out than we normally do. Patches begs to go for walks every half hour because of all the wonderful smells here, which includes those of feral cats that live here.

While the majority of people here are in the senior age bracket, there are some young families camping so you don't feel like you're living in a world of "blue hairs", something that is common in Florida and Arizona in the winter. Folks have been friendly and we've enjoyed our week so far. And the best part is that there's still three more weeks here to enjoy. Yes!!!

Speaking of Happy Hour, I never showed off Denny's liquor cabinet that he created when we pulled out our old TV and replaced it with a new flat screen TV which left a large empty space. Voila'...a place for the liquor bottles and wine glasses. The socks are on the glasses to keep them from chinking against each other when we are traveling.

Vicki is the ultimate hostess; our libations are not only tasty they are served in a tasteful and decorative manner. Me, I just plunk them down with a bowl of chips and dip. 'Cuz I'm classy like that.

Our first nice day on the beach we walked the mile distance up to the state park fishing pier because they have really good ice cream there. So we treat ourselves to a double dip and hope we walk off some of the calories on the mile-long walk back to our trailer.

That's the south end of Myrtle Beach in the distance as we are approaching the state park pier. If you stay in the area in September, you may catch the baby sea turtles hatching and working their way to the sea from their nests at the edge of the beach at the state park. There is also a pair of nesting bald eagles that have made a home in the park in the last few years.

You don't need Photosh*p or any picture tweaking software here. Even on mornings when there aren't a lot of clouds the sky turns a beautiful peachy-pink just before the sun rises above the horizon.

When we first started staying here in MB, there were very few sea oats and native plants along the beach at the campgrounds and there was always a lot of erosion. Now the businesses have worked very hard at creating dunes with native plants to hold the sand in place, which also makes for nice photo ops.

There are normally only a handful of people on the beach for the sunrise, which is a shame because the weather has been cool but not cold in the mornings and the tide has been out so you can look for sharks' teeth while awaiting the sun.

The sun sets over the campground and so motorhomes and trailers are always in the shot so I just did a picture of the clouds for this sunset photo. I'll have to do better for the next sunset photo I post.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:57:00 +0000

The last two days there have been clouds in the sky, which makes for a nice sunrise. Yesterday I scattered my mother's ashes as I ~~threatened~~ promised my mom several years ago to do. It was something the two of us had agreed upon and with coffee mug in hand (as my mother had always done for a Myrtle Beach sunrise) I carried her ashes out in a cut-crystal bowl and scattered them in the surf. When my mother was hospitalized this spring and had to undergo the pain of blood work (she and I have tiny veins) I'd tell her to go to her "happy place" on the beach in Myrtle Beach. And now indeed she's in her happy place.

Heat Seeking Missile

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:50:00 +0000

That's what Denny calls me when I've spent a cold night curled up tightly against his back. The temperature outside is currently 39 degrees--it's time for this snowbird to migrate again.

Today we'll be taking red roads down to Myrtle Beach. Don and Vicki should already be there by the time we arrive since they are already in SC. I've checked today's forecast there; 59 and windy, but tomorrow it will hit 70 degrees and start warming up from there. Right now that sounds heavenly. I know it will get much cooler there before we leave the area but if I have a couple of weeks of sunshine and warmth I'll be happy.

This week wasn't a good week for photographs because there was fog and drizzle for much of our time here. Today's pics are just a couple of snapshots taken on our brief walks around the campground.

You've seen this one before; it's the old tobacco barn on the property.

I much prefer this type of a pot for plants and flowers.

Even vibrant pink is muted on a gray day.

My fascination with spider webs continues.

I wish the two-tone aqua and blue of the sky showed up better. It was taken as we drove through Virginia on our way here to N. Carolina.

I Found the Perfect Job

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:07:00 +0000

Sorry for the crappy picture but I took it with my cell phone as I forgot my camera.

Today we ran over to the Childress Vineyards, located just 8 miles or so from our campground. We didn't take the tour since we've done several over the years at a variety of wineries, but we spent an enjoyable 1/2 hour tasting a number of their classic and barrel select wines lead by a young lady who is a transplant from Akron, Ohio (and forgive me for not getting her name because she was excellent; the winery is not answering their phones on this busy weekend day to get her name). She followed her parents down who followed their first grandchild down and really enjoys what she does. When I complimented her on her knowledge of all the varieties of wines produced at Childress she told us that she was taught at an all day "boot camp" where they drank wines all day. Let me repeat that; they drank wines all day. Give me an application, I can DO this!

The winery is of course, owned by Richard Childress, the race car driver and is styled after a Tuscany villa. Inside there is an intimate little restaurant with live music on the weekends, as well as tours of the winery itself, along with the separate wine tasting/store area.

North Carolina prides itself on its use of Scuppernong and Muscadine native grapes, which are used to create a sweeter wine with an earthy, grape-y flavor. Denny leans towards these, while I lean towards the drier varieties. My regret is that we are a week too early for the Barbeque festival here, as they will be introducing their "Fine Swine Wine" for that weekend. Dang! That would be worth it for the bottle label alone!

So if you are in the area, stop by, look for the slender blonde from Akron, Ohio to lead you through a very educational and well informed introduction to the Childress wines, and enjoy the scenery that surrounds the estate. It's a great way to spend an afternoon.

File Under: What Were You Thinking?

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:09:00 +0000

I apologize in advance for the blurry photos that follow; I had to take them quickly since our neighbors were inside their trailer at the time I took them.

The scenario; a wet, gravel-over-dirt campsite that slops downward from the back going down towards the front. Which means an unstable base for your RV. Most RVs have jacks of one type or another to stabilize the RV and keep it level. However, they are not meant to hold your vehicle in place.

Non-campers may not "see" what I'm referring to but anyone who has set up a trailer or motorhome should pick up on it right away.
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Do you see it? No? There are no wheel chocks to prevent this trailer from rolling down the hill if the mud underneath shifts at all. Inexperience? Stupidity? Nonchalance? Who knows? We will be leaving before our neighbors do so we'll miss the show that may well happen if they crank up the jacks before they hitch up, losing what little anchor they have. Good luck with that.

Cold

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:37:00 +0000

Is the entire northern continent inundated with rain/snow/cold? I fear I made a serious mistake in donating all our winter clothing to charity before we left Ohio. I thought we left the cold weather behind us--HA! Do you think if I purchased new winter duds the weather would instantly turn warmer? I have a sneaking suspicion it would.

I did take advantage of the wet weather yesterday by staying inside and starting to gather up the necessary paperwork for finishing probate on Mom's estate. I can think of more fun things to do, which is why I'm dragging my feet on this, plus I'm not quite sure just what all I need to do in what order because my mother's attorney hasn't been really helpful. The house needs some additional work done to pass inspection, since it is 52 years old but that has been arranged and we hope it will be finished in time for closing. *Crossing fingers*

More of the same today.

Making Do

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:44:00 +0000

My niece got married last week, which was the reason we returned to Ohio for a brief, wet and chilly stay. I called her to see if she needed anything done to help with the preparations the day before the wedding and was told I could help in the kitchen. Okay.

Friday morning (the day of the wedding) I called again to see what needed to be done that afternoon and my niece told me we needed to pick up the food, bring a wine bottle opener and OMG yes, she could use our grill. It seems that we were going to be preparing food for one hundred people on a single stove otherwise. Gulp. What followed after we arrived on site was chaotic, as the rental hall provided nothing in the way of pots, pans, cooking utensils or anything we needed. One of the groom's aunts shipped off her husband for some quick supplies, others had brought a cookie sheet or a pan so we started with what we had. Denny ended up cooking some of the chicken kiev on our little propane grill and later heated up frozen pans of macaroni and cheese on it. Folks, necessity was surely the mother of invention that day! With a lot of help from both sides of the soon-to-be-joined family, we got her done. It was a beautiful wedding, the bride and groom have no idea of the craziness that went on in the kitchen and the guests enjoyed both the wedding and meal. *Whew*

And aren't they just the cutest couple?

Snowbird Mode

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:02:00 +0000

The local weather forecasters were threatening the advent of snow on Tuesday of this coming week. No thank you. When I made our camping reservations here in Ohio I could only make them for a week. Now I'm rather glad of that. The cat is curled up tightly in my lap, which only occurs when it's cold outside. Last night when Darb and Net left after their visit the air was so crisp you could see your breath and the sky was full of stars. The smell of autumn was in the air as our neighbors had a bonfire going in an effort to burn their pile of firewood since they too are leaving today.

It is bittersweet to leave; we won't be returning to Ohio for a while which means we won't be seeing our sons and families. Sometimes that's a high price to pay for our lifestyle. But we have discovered over the last eleven years that all roads eventually lead to Ohio, which will always be home to me.

We do have fall this year. The top picture is of the woods across from our trailer the day we arrived a week ago, the second picture was taken yesterday.

And now it's time to pack up to start our snowbird migration. See you down the road.

Busy

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:34:00 +0000

Black Beauty's radiator has been replaced; there was a leak in a weld seam or some such thing. Denny and I have been running here and there, catching up with a few old friends, getting a dental visit in (I need a tooth pulled but there's no time for than nonsense) and today we'll be running errands for my niece who gets married today. We need a few more days here, but could only arrange to stay at this campground for a week so we'll be moving on on Sunday morning.

Denny and I haven't been at the campground much with all things we've had to do but I've tried to spend a half hour or so outside with Patches every day, just to take the time to breathe. So I snapped a couple of pictures of her in her hunting mode.

A hunting we will go.

I know there's something in here.

Wait, I see something!

There! I knew I smelled something!

That and This

noreply@blogger.com (Linda and Denny) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:33:00 +0000

Although I missed the pretty little gray snake in the tall bush in Pennsylvania last week, when Patches startled a chipmunk who was foraging at the base of a tall tree I had my camera with me. While all I saw was a tan blur heading up the tree trunk the short tail told me the critter wasn't a squirrel so I stood quietly holding Patches still while I looked to see where the little guy went. Before long through the leaves I saw the chipmunk twenty feet up the tree. Who knew a chipmunk could climb a tree? The proof is in the picture. You'll have to trust me that it was up that high. You'll see him just to the left (your left as you are facing the picture) of the orange leaf.

Little house on the prairie. The night we arrived two deer wandered across the hollow below our trailer. What a life, huh?

Something different for me; daytime clouds.

Today we met with the estate attorney to handled some paperwork and arrange to have him draw up a new deed for my mother's house; we have a buyer. Yay! When we came out of the office and walked to the truck we noticed a pool of fluid underneath the front end. Curses! We had plans to take Denny's aunt to lunch in Cinci, so we did that, but called to arrange to take the truck in to be looked at tomorrow morning. They have five days to fix it before we have to be out of the campground--there are no free sites after Saturday. We decided to drop the truck off this afternoon where they took a quick look at it and said it looked like the radiator is leaking, or rather the rear-most of the six radiators in the engine. Which means that they will have to remove the first five to confirm that. Sigh. It would have been much too easy for it to have been the first radiator, right?

This week will be busy with repairs, legal stuff, doctor and dentists, visits and of course, my niece's wedding. There will be people we don't get to see, places we won't get to visit, things that won't get done. Time to breathe.