May 26 - 29

Sunday, May 26:  We were up early and on the road by 8:16 AM.  The weather radar showed another storm fast approaching the San Antonio area so we wanted to get going as soon as possible.  It was 100 miles before we saw blue sky and even then it was kind of “iffy.”  Another 50 miles and it was blue skies all around.  Yay, we didn't have to drug Jenny!  Lunch at a rest area and then we rolled into the Fort Stockton RV Park around 1:30.  We’re very close to the same sight we were in on the beginning of the trip so no new pics.  The high today was predicted to be in the upper 80’s and it was correct.  It was 90 degrees by 5 and we had to run the AC all night. 

All of the leftovers are gone so Mikey cooked a piece of salmon we had in the freezer.  For dessert we finished off the Ben & Jerry’s “Coffee, Coffee, Buzz, Buzz, Buzz.”  This is a flavor that has returned from the “Ice Cream Graveyard” or something like that.  Our friends in Clearwater, Seth & Rita, gave us a container when we left their house and we have been hooked on it ever since.  Walmart has been having it on sale for $3.48 per pint.  That’s a lot for a pint but this stuff is worth it!  Coffee ice cream with big chunks of dark chocolate.  Yum!! 

It was a fairly calm night except for the wind.  We know we are back in the west cuz the winds always a blowin’.  At least we don’t have to drug the dog anymore!  Or so I thought… 

 Monday, May 27, Memorial Day!  It was a leisurely morning.  Coffee, then yoga followed by a delicious breakfast of biscuits and gravy with a fried egg.  After our showers we headed into Fort Stockton to find a grocery store.  Wouldn't you know it, there’s a Walmart Supercenter right on the main drag through town.  Cool, we bought more Ben & Jerry’s ice cream since it was still on sale!! 

For some strange reason the weather app said no rain but guess what?  It rained that evening!  Mike was going to cook on the grill but had to use the stove inside the coach instead.  And yes, Jenny got her usual dose of “meds.” 

Tuesday, May 28:  It still looked like more rain this morning so we had our breakfast and showers and got on the road by 8ish once again.  It was an easy drive and add to that the hour we gain by going from east to west and were in Las Cruces, NM by 1:00 in the afternoon!  What??  We decided to drive on to Deming, NM for the night since there was a Passport America park there.  We stayed at the LoW HI RV Ranch which was quite a ways off the interstate.  It was nice and quiet and had gravel throughout the park which meant less dust.  The wind was ferocious still and we opted to leave the slide in to keep the awning over it from flapping like crazy.  We also kept the satellite dish down since nothing was supposed to record tonight anyway. 

Lots of gravel!

We tried to have our wine outside but the wind was so bad and even with all the gravel there was still dust in the air so we moved back inside.  As you can see in the picture, we are still smiling… we’re almost home!!

Happy wine drinkers!

I had recorded “Behind the Candelabra” the other night so we watched it this evening.  It was really an interesting movie and I can’t believe how well Michael Douglas portrayed Liberace!  We actually were able to go to bed without giving Jenny any meds!  She wasn't crazy about the wind but it didn't upset her like thundering and lightning does.  We “rocked and swayed” all night! 

Wednesday, May 29:  Since we didn't disconnect the car yesterday it was an easy departure day. So after yoga, breakfast and showers we were on the road again by a little after 8:00 AM.  We gained another hour today because Arizona is not on Daylight Savings Time.  By 11:30 AM we were back in our old spot at Far Horizons Tucson Village.  Thanks, Sam, for guiding us into our spot.  And thank you for preparing a nice meal on the patio.  We’ll be here in Tucson until the end of June and then we head back to Colorado for the rest of the summer. 

Site #310 at Far Horizons

This is the last blog posting for a while.  I’ll let everyone know when it starts up again. 

Have a great summer!!

May 24 & 25

Friday, May 24:  Darrell had suggested that we not leave until around 10 AM to avoid the morning traffic.  It worked out well because we didn’t get on the road until a little after 10 anyway.  Traffic was fairly heavy and there is the always present “road work.” 

We decided to avoid driving through San Antonio by taking Hwy 46 which bypasses it on the north side and goes through New Braunfels.  For some reason traffic was backed up in New Braunfels and it took us about 20 minutes to get through it and then a storm hit on the other side.  Time to drug the dog again.  Poor thing is going to be an addict before we get her back home!  It rained and thundered and lightning flashed everywhere!  By the time we got to the RV park in Kerrville we had driven out of the storm and it was decent enough for us to sit outside and have our wine. 

Jenny & I having our wine...

Saturday, May 25:  It rained hard most of the night but cleared up mid morning.  After breakfast and showers we went sight-seeing.  When we checked in at the RV Park yesterday Mike picked up a flyer for a local winery that was open for tastings.  He had also found out about “Stonehenge II” here in this area.  You can read about it in this pic:

Stonehenge II sign

We found the place just about 10 miles from us and made it our first stop.  As you can see in the pic it’s pretty cool.  Definitely not something you see every day in Texas. 

Pics of us at Stonehenge II

From there we made the obligatory Walmart stop then headed to the winery.  It is called Kerrville Hills Winery and is located between Kerrville and Fredericksburg.  When we drove through Texas on the way to FL we drove through Fredericksburg and along Hwy 290 and noticed a LOT of wineries.  We told ourselves we would have to stop if we came back through this way again so we did.  The wines were quite good and we bought a couple of bottles we hope to share with Dan & Pam once we get back to Tucson. 

Pic of us at the winery

What made the tasting the most fun was the woman working at the tasting room.  Her name was Doreen and she was originally from New Zealand but has lived in the states for a long time.  She was very outgoing and just a lot of fun.  At one point she asked us if we still worked because we looked too young to be retired, and then she asked if we owned an antiques store.  I told her we were gay, but not that gay!  See, I told you she was fun! 

Doreen, can you believe she is 72!!

We finally tore ourselves away and headed back to the coach and the drugged dog.  On the way we stopped and picked up some fried chicken which I had been craving for some time.  Of course we had our afternoon nap then took Jenny for a walk before the next storm came through. 

As we were walking I noticed a truck that looked familiar, then I saw the bicycle in front of it and it looked familiar and then I saw the NM license plates!  It was Ken Rudolph who stayed at Far Horizons this past winter.  We were supposed to meet up with him in Las Cruces and we did see his rig but he was never there.  He had bought a place in Las Cruces and was busy with it.  How funny to run into him here in Kerrville, TX!  I knocked on his door and he came out and chatted with us for a while.  His daughter lives in San Antonio so he goes back and forth from NM and TX all the time. 

That night it stormed again.  Poor Jenny, she’s not been “sober” in days.  We’ve got to get out of the stormy weather soon.  

May 23

Thursday, May 23:  Darrell came over to pick us up and take us to lunch at an out of the way place north of town he and Frank like.  It’s a hamburger place and they also have brisket which Mike and I both love.  The food was delicious!  The brisket was tender and flavorful and the home made Cole slaw was yummy!  After lunch Darrell took us back to the coach and we snuck in without waking Jenny to get the key to the Honda so we could go to the store.  Sometimes having a deaf dog is a good thing!  We ran our errands and came back to the coach and I took a nap while Mike worked on our itinerary once we leave Houston.  Eureka!  Mike found us a place to stay outside of Kerrville which is on the west side of San Antonio.  And it is a Passport America Park! 

Darrell & Frank picked us up to take us to dinner this evening.  We went to a Cuban restaurant and the food was excellent!  Mike and I split a Cuban sandwich and ceviche.  After dinner they took us back to the coach and we said our goodbyes. 

Darrell, Mike, Me & Frank

Darrell and I have been friends since I was 18 and he was 19.  We've been there for each other over the years and have always stayed in touch.  

May 20 - 22

Monday, May 20:  It’s really hot and humid here in Mississippi!  After breakfast and yoga we went sight-seeing in the historic district in downtown Hattiesburg.  What a beautiful place!  There are a lot of huge plantation homes in the area and a lot of history.  We only scratched the surface of what is available to see here in the old south. 

We were also looking for a Dollar store so I could buy some nail polish remover for my glasses.  Somehow, I managed to get something on my glasses and when trying to clean them I scratched the UV coating and caused it to start coming off.  All of this is on the left one-third of my left lens.  I tried using rubbing alcohol to remove the rest of the coating but all that did was make a big smear area.  Yikes!  I called my optometrist in Cortez and was told he was on vacation until a week from tomorrow.  Dang the luck!  His replacement, Gloria, was helpful and suggested I try nail polish remover which is what they use for situations like this.  All the remover did was make the smear worse but at least it is contained to the left one third of my left lens.  I can live with it for now since I have an appointment with my eye doctor on July 8 and I’m pretty sure I’m going to need new lenses for this pair of glasses anyway. 

There were also a lot of turtles in this pond!

Tuesday, May 21:  We were able to get ready to leave before the rain started which is always a good thing.  The jacks down light gave me grief again today but at least I didn’t get the check engine light!  The jacks down light does go out and the buzzing stops after we travel a few miles.  We had to get fuel this morning so we stopped at a station just after leaving the park.  Mike had pulled out the manual for the hydraulic system and we had figured out how to check the fluid level.  I also saw in the manual that if the jacks down light stays on one of the reasons is low fluid level.  Hmm.  We got the plug open to check the fluid level and it was low.  Fortunately, it takes automatic transmission fluid and we had some in the back of the Honda.  Glug, glug, glug and it was full again.  Let’s see if this solves the problem. 

Today’s destination is southern Louisiana before getting to I-10.  On the trip out to Florida the stretch of I-10 through Louisiana was some of the roughest road we had ever been on and neither of us wanted to experience that again.  Highway 190 cuts across the southern part of the state running parallel to I-10 several miles north.  Mike had also found another Passport America park in Eunice, LA on a lake with ducks!  My favorite kind of RV Park! 

The park was easy to find and not very busy since it is mid-week.  We were given a back-in site on the lake but when we got to it we decided to pull straight in.  Our “living room” with the picture window is in the front of the coach and we wanted to see the lake and the wildlife.  There is enough electric cord, water hose and sewer pipe to run under the coach to make the connections.  Ahh, beautiful and we’re only about 15’ from the edge of the lake.  What a view!!

This was our view out the front window of the coach!

Wednesday, May 22:  And then the storm came…  Sometime around 1 in the morning it started storming with lightning and thundering and rain until morning.  Jenny was not a happy camper.  Even with massive amounts of doggie downers she was still restless.  Mike wound up sleeping on the floor next to the dining table since Jenny had holed up there.  We were both concerned about the amount of rain and what it would do to the level of the lake. Oy!  The lake had risen but had not overflowed the bank.  There is a low area under the front of the coach and it had filled with water and the front wheels were just barely in the water.  I’m so glad we backed in because the rear wheels were in a more dry area. 

The rain had stopped long enough for us to get the coach ready and to pull out to the road so we could connect the car.  We both kept our flip-flops on to slosh around in the water and mud.  It is much easier to clean flip-flops then it is to clean tennis shoes.  The jacks came up beautifully and the light went out!  Yay, adding hydraulic fluid was what it needed to be happy. 

One stop we wanted to make on the drive to LA was at Rosemont Plantation, the home of Jefferson Davis.  It is located in the SW corner of LA about 20 miles before you get into Mississippi.  When we got to it the gates were closed so we went on down the road and found a Mississippi Visitor Center.  I went inside to ask about Rosemont and the lady behind the counter said it was closed today and she didn’t know why.  Darn!  I told the lady we were on our way to Beaumont, TX but didn’t want to drive on I-10 so she mapped out a route for us she uses when she visits her mother in LA.  The route she gave us took us over a new bridge that resembled on a small scale the Sunshine Skyway over Tampa Bay.  She said we would say it’s a cool bridge and she was right!

Insert pic of LA group here

The park we stayed at this evening is only a few miles from Darrell & Frank’s house on the north side of Houston.  It’s adjacent to a convention/expo center and has a lot of RV sites.  The sites are all concrete with green “islands” next to each and all the interior roads are paved.  Nice place!  After setting up and taking a short nap Frank came over so we could follow him back to their place. 

Traders Village Site

Their house is as perfect for them as they had described.  Frank has turned the back yard into a show place and Darrell has made the kitchen his “home.”  They prepared a wonderful meal and Darrell even made an Olive oil cake served with strawberries and whipped cream.  It was sort of like a pound cake and it was very good!  We visited with them until about 8 then headed back to the RV. 

Frank's Backyard and Darrell's Kitchen!

May 16 - 19

Thursday, May 16:  I needed to wash two more loads of clothes so after breakfast, a walk and showers we headed over to Mildred’s.  She wanted to take us to a new BBQ place on the south side of Blairsville so while the second load was drying we headed out for errands and lunch.  We had a tub of books Mildred wanted to donate to the library along with some VHS tapes.  The library took the books but didn’t want the tapes, big surprise there.  The tapes are going to the thrift store except for the ones about trains which I am taking back to give to Chuck Kalkbrenner who lives in the park in Tucson.  He is a train aficionado and will appreciate these tapes. 

Lunch was at Jim’s Smokin Que and it was delicious!  Mike and I both ordered a full rack of ribs but could only eat half.  That’s OK, leftover ribs for dinner one night will be just fine!   About a mile down the highway from the BBQ place is the Logan Turnpike Mill where Mildred has been buying grits and cornmeal for years.  We try to stock up each time we come through and this time was no exception.  We bought 10#’s of yellow cornmeal and 10#’s of yellow grits.  We gonna eat good for a long time!  Yes, Marie and Darrell, I’ll be sharing with you! 

Logan Turnpike Mill (not a real chicken!)

The rest of the afternoon we ran a few more errands including getting Mildred’s truck washed and then headed back to her house for coconut cake!  She had made the cake for dessert the night before but we were so stuffed after dinner we didn’t have any room for cake.  So we had it for dinner this evening.  Around 6 PM we said our goodbyes and headed back to the coach.  Tomorrow is a drive day to Alabama and I needed to get some rest.  It was a lovely evening for wine outside under the stars.  

Goodbye Mildred, we love you!

Friday, May 17:  The rain that was predicted hadn’t shown up by the time we were ready to leave this morning which was good.  We hate getting ready in the rain!  But, we still had aggravation from the coach in the form of annoying lights and buzzers.  I think there is something wrong with the hydraulic system because the “Jacks Down” light stays on until we are about 5 miles down the road and the “Check Engine” light comes on at the same time.  I’m hoping we can get by until we get back to Tucson to have the coach serviced.  Everyone, keep your fingers crossed! 

Mike had been talking on the phone with his sister Marsha and her husband Richard this week.  Mike’s sister went into the hospital on Thursday for pneumonia and possibly a heart attack.  When Mike spoke to her earlier in the week he had commented she sounded a little disoriented and now we know why.  It turned out to be blood clots forming in her feet and ankles that were moving into her lungs.  

We got to the RV Park in Tanner, AL outside of Decatur about 2:30 and got setup before the rain started.  It rained for four hours!  Mike had spoken to his brother-in-law Richard and it was decided we would go to the hospital for the 6 PM visitation.  By 4:30 I was exhausted and decided to stay at the coach while Mike went to see his sister.  The storm had not let up and Jenny was pacing and anxious.  It was better that one of us stayed with her to prevent her from destroying the coach.  It gave me chance to rest, also.  I still get very tired by late afternoon especially after driving the coach for several hours. 

Saturday, May 18:  We awoke to no rain!  It was still a gray day in north Alabama.  After Yoga, breakfast and showers we headed into Decatur to the hospital to see Marsha.  She is doing much better today.  The breathing treatments and the blood thinners seem to be helping a great deal.  We visited until her lunch arrived then we headed out to have lunch ourselves.  Back to the hospital after our lunch for more visiting time then we went to the coach to take Jenny for a walk and for a quick nap for us.  After our nap we went back to the hospital for one more visit with Marsha and her husband Richard.  We really enjoyed getting to know Richard better (he and Marsha are newlyweds) and visiting with Marsha and her daughter Deanna. 

     Marsha and her daughter Deanna                 Richard and Marsha                 Deanna, Marsha and Mike

Because we ate so much at lunch at Olive Garden we didn’t feel like eating anything for supper so we sat outside and had a glass (or two!) of wine.  Yesterday evening we noticed a yellow tom cat wandering around meowing endlessly.  I finally caved in and gave him some cat food.  Yep, he’s our new best friend now.  We think he belongs to the guy in the pop-up camper across from us since the cat seems to hang around over there a lot.  He is definitely someone’s pet because he is declawed and we think he’s neutered as well.  He’s friendly but cautious and not afraid of Jenny at all.  This evening he was back over for his meal and of course I obliged.  After we went in for the evening he hung around a bit then he left. 

He's made himself quite comfortable at our site!

 

Sunday, May 19:  We left Decatur this morning and headed south towards Hattiesburg, MS to our stop for the next two nights.  Mike has found us an RV Resort that has a pond and ducks and is a Passbook America park!  The drive into it is kind of interesting because it is mostly a one lane road!  I kept hoping I didn’t run into another RV coming out of the park.  After setting up we had a lovely evening sitting outside watching the ducks and the turtles in the pond.  

 

 

May 13 - 15

Monday, May 13:  Kathryn & Tony brought my step-mom Mildred over to the coach this morning (and her little dog, too!) along with the rest of her luggage.  The drive to her home in Blairsville takes about three hours and luckily we made it through Atlanta and all the way to Blairsville without any traffic problems! 

The campground we are staying at is a County Park on Lake Nottely.  I was concerned about trees and when we got there my concerns were valid, there are a lot of trees in this campground.  Sigh.  The camp host gave me about a half dozen sites to choose from and he did suggest one site that a camper was on last week who had a satellite dish and it worked.  I looked at all the sites and decided on the one the camp host recommended.  We parked the coach and Mike plugged in the electric and I put up the dish.  It looked like we had a pretty clear southwesterly view.  The satellites locked in except for one so I put the dish back down and moved the coach forward about a foot and tried again.  Eureka!  All of the satellites locked in! 

We ate a quick lunch then I took Mildred to her house while Mike finished setting up the coach.  When I got back we took a nap and then had our wine outside looking at the lake.  Ahhh.  Camping.  Or “Glamping” which is a combination of Glamour and Camping and is more in line with what we do. 

The lake is through those trees, but doesn't show up in the picture dang it.

Later that evening Mike built a fire in the fire ring and grilled bratwurst for dinner.  Yummy!  It was a cold evening so we retired inside, turned on the electric mattress pad to warm the bed and then watched a little TV.  I told ya, Glamping!

Tuesday, May 14:  I hadn’t done laundry since a week ago Sunday so it had piled up.  I also had sheets and towels that needed to be laundered.  My step-Mom said we could do laundry at her place.  I did laundry until about 6 that evening!  It was nice spending the day with Mildred and helping her prepare dinner.  We went home tired and full. 

Wednesday, May 15:  When my father died in January of 2010 I flew from Tucson to Georgia to attend the funeral.  My parents have a one bedroom two bath home.  The living room is very large and has two sofa hide-a-beds.  Still, when the family convened for Dad’s funeral there was not enough room at the inn so to speak.  I contacted a friend of a friend and he said he had an empty house I could stay in while I was in Georgia.  Dan put me up in a very nice house in the woods not too far from my Dad’s house.  It worked well, I was able to spend time with family during the day and had my evenings to myself. 

I called Dan when we got into Blairsville and asked if we could get together and he suggested lunch on Wednesday at The View Grill on the Butternut Creek Golf Course in Blairsville.  Wow, I see why the restaurant is called “The View Grill!”  It overlooks the golf course and surrounding area.  The food was excellent as well.  Mike and I both had the “Spicy Pimiento Cheese Burgers.”  Yummy!  Here is a picture of Dan and of the view from our table:

Mike & Dan and the view!

That evening we had dinner at Mildred’s; her daughter was driving up from her house to bring Mildred some papers she left behind on Monday.  Of course Mildred prepared a fabulous dinner; roasted chicken, dressing, creamed corn and field peas.  We’re not going to get out of here without gaining a little more weight.  Sigh…  

May 8 - 12

Wednesday, May 8:  Time to leave Clearwater and head for the Orlando area with a stop in Plant City to spread some of Mom’s ashes.  Her father and two of her brothers are buried at the Turkey Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.  I’m hoping her Mom is buried in Ocala with other family members.  Mike set the GPS for the cemetery and off we went.  The drive through downtown Tampa was fairly easy since we didn’t leave Clearwater until after 9 to avoid rush hour.  The idea was to exit in Plant City and disconnect the car to drive to the cemetery but Mike looked at a satellite view (gotta love the iPhone!!) of the cemetery and saw that the church parking lot was huge.  I drove the motor home right to the church and parked in the parking lot. 

It was time to let Mom join her father and brothers.  This was the first we had really looked at the container holding Mom’s ashes.  It was totally sealed, like a coffee can.  How do I get Mom out?  With a can opener, that’s how! 

My Mother would have gotten a laugh out of this!

We took the bag containing Mom’s ashes and put it in a grocery bag and went to look for the graves of my grandfather and my uncles.  It took a while but we found them and I distributed some of Mom’s ashes around all three grave sites.  I didn’t realize how white the ashes would be so I had to be careful about where they were placed.  I didn’t want it to be too obvious in case there are laws or cemetery policies about spreading ashes. 

Jenny was supervising...

It was a beautiful day and the rest of the drive to Orlando to visit my brother Jim was nice and easy.  We got to Jim’s place mid afternoon and drove to where he lives with his girlfriend Betty.  Jim then rode with me over to the storage area, referred to as the compound, where we set up our coach.  Ah, the perfect spot was found so the dish could go up and not be blocked by trees!

I had not put the dish up yet.

Betty prepared a delicious dinner of homemade spaghetti sauce and French bread with chopped garlic and butter.  I can see why my brother has developed a little belly on him.  Way to go, Betty!  It was nice to get to know Betty and to visit with them both.  We don’t get to see enough of each other so when we do get together it’s “catch up” time.  Jim and Betty have recently purchased a 2000 40’ Allegro Bus to travel in.  I am jealous!  His coach even though it’s the same year as ours looks much more modern and is a whole lot nicer inside!  He also got a heck of a deal on it.  Now they have no excuse not to come visit us in Colorado!

Thursday, May 9:  We connected the car outside the compound and then Betty & Jim joined us to say good bye.  The visit was way too short but I know we’ll see them again soon. 

Jim & me & Betty, do we look like brothers?

One of the worse things in Florida is the lovebug.  It is a funny looking little black bug that actually is two bugs joined together at the butt, or what would be the butt if they had one.  They are really thick over highways and the front of your vehicle becomes plastered with them as you zoom along.  If you don’t wash them off quickly they can take the paint right off the vehicle!  By the time we got to Ocala the front of the coach was covered so the first thing Mike did was clean the bugs off. 

The RV Park in Ocala where we stayed is on the south side at the intersection of Hwy 484 and I-75.  The site we picked was in the middle of the park with no trees for hundreds of yards so the dish had no interference.  I didn’t get a picture but trust me, there was not a tree anywhere near us!  Then why didn’t our programs record that night?  We missed the season finale of Glee and Grey’s Anatomy! 

This evening for dinner we went out to a new restaurant in Ocala called the Ivy House.  Our friend Jim Poston suggested it and we said we would go by and pick up Chuck and Barry at their new house.  We all got caught up on each other’s lives over dinner and had a great visit! 

Chuck, Mike, me, Barry & Jim at the Ivy House Restaurant.

After dinner we drove around Ocala and looked at some of the historic homes downtown.  I had forgotten how beautiful downtown Ocala is.  Then we went over to Chuck & Barry’s and visited a little more with them before retiring to the coach. 

Friday, May 10:  I had called my childhood friend Carol yesterday and we had agreed to meet for lunch.  Ironically, she had suggested the Ivy house since it was a new place.  During dinner last night Jim has recommended another restaurant in Ocala, Tres Chic because it had great lunches and a “killer coconut cake.”  We met Carol at Tres Chic and had a great lunch but was too full to order dessert, maybe next time. 

Mike, Carol and me at Tres Chic restaurant

The last time I saw Carol she was driving a big old Oldsmobile 98, it was a huge car!  Carol is less than 5’ tall and is quite petite so to see her driving such a big car was kind of funny.  Now she is driving a new Dodge Charger and it fits her nicely. 

Carol and her snazzy car.

It just so happens that my cousin Diane was retiring from her job today and they were having a party for her at work.  She invited us to join them at 2 this afternoon.  It was a nice party and it worked out well for us because we got to see two of her three daughters and two of her grand kids as well as her husband.  The other daughter lives in Japan where her husband is stationed so she wasn't able to make it to the party. 

Diane’s party and family.

After the party and all that 'visiting' I was exhausted.  My stamina and energy is getting better but I still get tired by the end of the day especially if I've been active. We said our goodbyes and headed back to the coach.  Tomorrow we are driving to Georgia and it is going to be a long day.

Saturday, May 11:  When we stopped for fuel Mike had to “de-bug” the windshield again so I could see where we were going!  After the fuel stop we only had one or two lovebugs hit the windshield. 

We got to the RV Park in Jackson, Georgia about 4 in the afternoon.  My step-mother Mildred stays with her daughter Kathryn and her husband Tony in Williamson, Georgia during the winter.  We are going to pick my step-mom up and take her to her home in Blairsville, Georgia on this trip.  They prepared dinner for us this evening so we got to catch up and get our bellies full once again. 

My turn to have my picture taken by the RV!

Sunday, May 12:  Mother’s Day!  The five of us went out to eat at Ted’s Montana Grill in Peachtree City for lunch.  That is Ted Turner’s restaurant and it features bison meat.  Everyone had bison for lunch except me; I wanted a beef filet, medium rare since I haven’t been able to have one for quite a while.  The doctors didn’t want me eating rare meat or sushi while I was taking treatments.  The meal was excellent! 

We spent the rest of the afternoon at Kathryn & Tony’s visiting with her kids and grand kids.  It’s always fun to see them and listen to their stories of what the kids and grand kids are doing.  By late afternoon we were exhausted and headed back to the coach.  

May 3 - 7

Friday, May 3:  Today is “Doctor Day” for Mike.  Sometime during our Texas crossing he got dust and grime in his eyes from all the wind.  His eyes got progressively worse and by the time we got to Clearwater he was miserable!  Both eyes were red, watery and itchy and he said they kind of hurt behind the eyeball.  Yikes!  Fortunately, my sister-in-law JoAnn has worked for an eye doctor for many years so we called her on Wednesday and asked her if she could get Mike in to see the doctor on Thursday afternoon or Friday.  Mike’s appointment was today at 2 PM so we hung around the RV until it was time to go.  When the doctor looked at Mike’s eyes she remarked he had “Angry Eyes!”  No kidding!  It was just an allergic reaction to all the dust so she prescribed him an eye drop to take that was both an anti-biotic (to prevent an infection) and a steroid to help soothe his eyes.  Soon after he started using the drops his eyes felt better. 

We were back at the coach by 5ish, walked the dog and got ready to go Rita and Seths’ for dinner.  I have known Rita for many years; she was one of my mentors when I was training to be a sign language interpreter.  We have worked together many times and have remained close over the years.  She and her husband, Seth, have been out to visit us in Colorado on a couple of occasions.  We always enjoy their company.  In my excitement of seeing them the only picture we have is of Seth, Mike and I.  Sorry, Rita! 

Seth, Mike and I

Saturday, May 4:  Graduation Day!  Today is the day our niece Brittany graduates from St. Petersburg College with a Physical Therapy Assistant degree.  The graduation was held at 10:00 AM at Tropicana Field (the Trop!) where the Devil Rays play baseball.  This is also the largest graduation class SPC has ever had, over 2,600 graduates this year!  Fortunately, only about 800 walked.  Whew, the reading of the names would have been for two days if all had walked! 

 The Trop

 Brittany and me

Brittany, her Mom JoAnn, JoAnn's husband Rick, Rick's Mom Juanita and me

After graduation we went back to the coach to have lunch and walk Jenny.  Poor dog has been cooped up in the motor home a lot lately.  I’m sure she is chomping at the bit to get back to her 30 acres of freedom in Colorado!  JoAnn, Brittany’s Mom was hosting an open house from 3-5 PM today and we went over to visit with the rest of the family and to enjoy the delicious treats everyone had prepared.  It was great to see JoAnn’s family again.  By the time we got back to the coach we were exhausted and our tummies were full.  What a great day!! 

Sunday, May 5:  We enjoyed a leisurely morning, had lunch, took a nap and then went over to the beach to visit Mike & Chuck.  They have been out to see us several times in Colorado and we try to see them when we get to Florida.  The traffic to be beach was horrendous so we took an alternate route over a bridge that is not used as much as the main bridge to Clearwater Beach.  Traffic hasn’t gotten any better in Pinellas County!  They have just returned from an 80 day trip mostly on a cruise ship.  No grass grows under the feet of these two men in their 70’s!  We sat around Mike’s condo and caught up on each other’s trips.  I had forgotten what a beautiful view he has of the intra-coastal waterway and the mainland.  We couldn’t have asked for more gorgeous day, bright blue sky and perfect temps in the mid 70’s. 

One of our favorite restaurants on the beach is “TJ’s” which we frequented a lot when we lived there.  Mike and Chuck took us to TJ’s for dinner that evening.  We enjoyed our Ahi Tuna appetizer and the rest of the meal, too.  Ahh, another great evening! 

Mike, Mike & Chuck here

Monday, May 6:  I did two loads of laundry in the coach and two loads in the park Laundromat.  It was a productive morning!  It was also an interesting morning.  While Mike was walking Jenny in the dog walk area of the park he found a yellow cockatiel on the ground next to a big tree.  It was very tame and full flight feathers but seemed to be exhausted.  We guessed it might have “escaped” from its’ cage and after flying for awhile just needed to rest.  Mike walked around the park with it hoping someone would claim it but no one did.  He took it to the office and the woman there said she would find a home for it. 

Today we are visiting with Mike & Barb Hennessy, another couple who have been out to visit us in Colorado on several occasions.  Barb and I have worked at almost all the same places at the same time.  Our paths are intertwined.  They live in Largo about a stone’s throw (hey, that would be a great name for an RV Park!) away from our old house in Clearwater.  Between our two houses was a large tract of land, 150+ acres that was donated to Pinellas County and has been turned into a big park.  It’s named Eagle Lake Park because of the nesting pair of eagles that raised several clutches of eaglets on that land.  After visiting with Mike & Barb the four of us went over to the park and walked a couple of miles.  It was great for Jenny, she really needed the exercise and so did we! 

After our walk and more visiting at Mike & Barb’s house we went to dinner at Rumba’s Bar & Grill, a seafood restaurant not far from their house.  We have been trying to eat as much seafood as possible on this trip and so far this has been the best meal we’ve had out at a restaurant!  Sorry, TJ…  The food was delicious, the atmosphere relaxed and the company was wonderful.  Alas, we had to say our goodbyes and head back to the RV.  I’m glad we got to see Mike & Barb again!

Me, Mike, Mike & Barb

Tuesday, May 7:  At Brittany’s graduation I had an opportunity to speak with the two interpreters, Crystal and Irma who were “working” the graduation.  Crystal was a former student of mine and it made me so proud to see how skilled she has become as an interpreter.  I made plans to stop by SPC to visit them on Tuesday morning and maybe to see any other staff that might still be around.  This was their spring break week so most of the staff and faculty and gone away for the week.  I got to see Cynthia, Irma and Marika and to see the new building at SPC, my old Alma Mater. 

We planned to have lunch with our nieces Brittany and her sister Crystal and also their mom, Joann today.  They wanted to ‘show off’ how downtown St. Petersburg has been revitalized.  We met them at Joann’s office downtown around noon and drove to a restaurant called “The Avenue” on 1^st Avenue South.  They had yummy burgers and “sliders” on the menu.  They also had tater tots which I am quite fond of and these were Cajun style with just enough spice to make them tasty! 

Crystal, Brittany, Mike, me and JoAnn

When we finished lunch we walked around downtown St. Pete which is on Tampa Bay.  The weather was perfect once again, bright blue sky and perfect temps in the 70’s plus the humidity was very low.  We walked along the marina and had gelato at one of the shops, yummy!  By mid afternoon we had to say our goodbyes and head back to the coach to take care of Jenny.  It was a great day with family!

Pics of downtown St. Pete

This evening we were to go back to downtown St. Pete and have dinner with Carol Downing, another interpreter friend of mine.  We have worked together many times and have been teachers at St. Pete College in the Sign Language Interpretation Program.  She has also been out to visit us in Colorado.  When we arrived at her door there was a sign on it welcoming us to her home. 

Cool sign!!

On our trip last summer as we were driving through downtown Denver I saw a sign that said Downing Street and took a picture of it for our blog.  She copied it from the blog and made the sign.  How cool is that!  Even cooler are the views from her condo.  There is a park between her and the beach that is all green and even has a palm arboretum.  We could sit for hours watching the world go by and sipping wine.  Carol prepared a wonderful meal Asian style with a pork loin, noodles and a delicious salad.  Carol’s brother David, who lives in the same condo complex, dropped by and joined us for dinner.  Dessert was two flavors of gelato which I am really becoming addicted to!  Again, in my excitement of seeing Carol we didn’t get any pictures!  Dang it!!  The iPhone is right there in my pocket and I didn’t even use it!! 

 The setting sun on the palms is beautiful!

Palm Arboretum

Of course it was another great evening with Carol and David, they both know how to tell a story and do they have a lot of stories of growing up in a large family!  Their camping stories are the best.  Thanks for great evening, Carol!

May 1 & 2

Wednesday, May 1:  What a soggy morning, there’s standing water everywhere, not a dry place to connect the car so we waded around the RV and prepared to leave.  It’s a beautiful drive through Louisiana and Mississippi with water everywhere in the form of lakes, rivers, bayous and swamps. 

Around lunch time we found a rest area in the middle of all that water for lunch and to walk the dog.  After lunch when I started the RV the check engine light came on.  My first thought was to go check to see if the engine was still there.  Ha-ha.  What the heck does “check engine” mean?  It could mean a lot of things so we ran down the list of possibilities and ruled most of them out.  We are in the middle of nowhere so the chance of getting service quickly was slim.  I put the RV in gear and started off and thankfully the “check engine” light went out.  I’m hoping it was just a fluke thing and would not reappear later to haunt us.

 

Today was a long day, over 7 hours behind the wheel and a little over 350 miles total driving.  Our destination was an RV Park in Lamont, FL at the intersection of I-10 and US Hwy 19.  We got there a little before 5 PM and set up in a light drizzle.  The name of the park is “A Stone’s Throw” because it is a stone’s throw from I-10 and from US 19.  It’s built on a slight grade so when I leveled the coach the back end was so high off the ground it looked like the tow bar was almost vertical!  Wine under the awning again…

Thursday, May 2:  We awoke to more rain and were not surprised.  Yes, I know, the rain is what keeps the southeast states so green but does it have to rain so much.  Did that sound like I was whining?  The drive on US 19 south, otherwise known as the Florida-Georgia Parkway, was beautiful with big patches of blue sky in between the rain drizzles.  We stopped for fuel in Spring Hill at a Chevron station that had diesel pump off to the side making it easier for me to get in and out of.  After fueling we parked in a big vacant area and had lunch then got back on the road.  From Spring Hill south US 19 is very busy because the communities along this highway have grown so much and this area is also a snowbird destination.  We decided to cut over to another north-south road to avoid the heavy traffic of US 19.  Our alternative route took us through a few residential areas which was fine, at least the traffic was better. 

We rolled into the Clearwater Travel RV Resort about 2:30 and got our site.  Wouldn’t you know, there was a tree at our site and it would be on the south side of the coach blocking the satellite dish!  Mike went back over to the office and the woman behind the counter gave him 4 other sites to choose from.  We picked one with no trees and quickly set up the RV.  I wanted to get over to see my friend Chris Wagner at his office in downtown Clearwater before he left for the day.  Chris is the director of a video phone relay company and is also the president of the National Association of the Deaf.  I've know he and his wife, Staci, since they moved to the Clearwater area back in the ‘90’s.  We have worked together on several occasions mostly when he was teaching at St. Petersburg College where I would be his “voice” in the classroom while he signed to the students.  We worked well together and have been friends ever since. 

Downtown Clearwater has changed a lot since I was here the last time.  I found the office and actually found a place to park!  Once inside I connected with my interpreter friend Rita who works as a staff interpreter.  Luckily, Chris’ wife Staci was on a video phone call with an employee and I was able to “chat” with her for a bit.  Chris came along and we had a big happy reunion!  Whew!  I remembered how to sign!  I stumbled a few times but my friend Rita assisted so all went well. 

We had a great visit and after hugs and goodbyes I headed back to the coach.  Mike and I were going to my sister-in-laws house to have pizza with them and my niece.  On the drive to her new house in Seminole we noticed it was a familiar neighborhood.  Our friends, Ron & Karey, used to live on the same block!  They no longer live there but it was nice to see their old house and to see the new house of my sister-in-law JoAnn.  The new house is very nice and much larger than the house she lived in before.  Her husband, Rick, went and picked up pizza for us.  JoAnn was getting her hair done and joined us, I can’t believe we yakked until almost 10:00 PM!  It was great catching up with them but we finally tore ourselves away and went back to the coach and crashed!

Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of the new house or of anyone during this visit or of the visit with Chris at his office; I guess I was just so excited about seeing them I didn't even think about pictures.  Dang!!  I did get a few pictures of the site at the Clearwater RV Resort.

That tree in the background is at the first site we were supposed to be in.  

                             A morning visitor!                                                   The cats were intrigued....