Chasing the Seventies.......

Life is Good!!

2010-07-26T22:52:00.010-04:00

It is hard to believe that it has been over 3 years, since we started full timing. What a life.
Lately we have been reconnecting with old friends and new friends.

We spent a wonderful few days with Faye, Jay and Lulu Carter. It is always a pleasure to run into friends on the road. And the Carters are always making us laugh and we always have fun.
David and Kathy Bennett came to Racoon Valley while we were there. Enjoyed playing the WII and what we do best(eating).
Jenelle, Corey and I went to Six Flags over Georgia. Man did we have fun. We rode all the roller coasters except for the wooden ones. They are just to rough.
Enjoyed time with the family. Everyone is doing good. Grandbabies are growing like weeds. Way to fast.
Joe's dad (Butch), for those of you that have met him, is doing good. We are planning to meet him in Ohio and spend some time with him there. He will stay with family while we go to the Gypsy Journal Rally in Indiana. Then we will pick him up and take him back to Ky.
We spent a few days with special friends of ours. Sheila and John Shepard. They bought a house with 82 acres.

It has a pond, horse barn and a house for Sheila to use as an office. Anyway we parked the RV beside the pond and enjoyed catching up with each other.

The Margarator finally bit the dust. Here is a picture of Joe and Sheila with the last batch of Margarita's.

Oh well, it has traveled many states with us and served many a margarita.

John also helped Joe put Laminant in the Kountry Star. Love it. I just don't like carpet in a RV. This is much easier to keep clean.

Then we went to Graying Michigan. At Camp Graying Rv Park. It is small but we found a site that we could fit on.
When we went for a walk around the campground, we saw a black squirrel. I had never seen one before. And the deer here are bigger than they are down south.
The Jeep did get some new stripes, to match the Kountry Star. I think it looks good.

Wed. we went to Mackanac Island. Was looking forward to seeing some more wildlife. We only saw a few deer and a ranch with Buffalo.
We went to Mackanac Island with Dean and Janice, by Ferry. The ride over was beautiful. The Island of course is a tourist town. No vehicles are allowed on the island. but there sure were alot of bicycles. And horse drawn carriages. The smell of horse urine was so strong. There is no where for it to go except down the street.
The town had alot of history for the history buff. We decided not to go to the Fort and other local trips. It was very hard to get a ride and walking was out of the question.
We did try some of the fudge. Janice decided to buy some fudge and then we headed back.
While we here in the UP, Joe has been finding some back roads. I think he is still trying to bond with the Jeep. He may even like it a little better since we didn't get stuck in the sand trap. That is little weird, you are going around a curve on dirt and all of a sudden there is a sign on a post saying sand trap. The jeep made it through with no problem. But that road sure had a lot of sand on it. We did have to put it in 4-wheel drive to make through some of the ruts. Its a Jeep thing.

We have been staying at some of the casinos. Most of them have hook ups for RV's. Some only have 110. But the one we are in now has full hook ups for 20.00 Not bad. Since we needed to do some laundry and fill our water tanks.

Our next stop will be in Wisconsin to visit with Greg and Jean for a few days. Then on to Indiana to the Gypsy Journal Rally and to visit the Newmar factory.
Everyone be safe and have fun.

New Toys

2010-05-14T16:51:00.004-04:00

We are at Raccoon Valley Rv Park, in Heiskell Tn. Visiting with our daughter. We will be heading to Cumberland Gap National Park next week. While we are there, we will be visiting with the family and friends.
Joe has some more doctor appointments and so will I, once I make them.

Here is a picture of our new to us home and new to us Jeep.
The Rv is a 2006 Newmar Kountry Star.

The Jeep is a 2005 Jeep Wrangler.
In this picture of the Jeep, it doesn't show the right color. In the picture it looks grey, but the real color is more of a khaki color. I am one happy camper, not to sure about Joe. I am the Jeep person. He just tolerates them.

Next weekend I will be going to Nashville. Miss Jaelynn is going to be in a beauty pageant. And of course Nana has to be there to watch her.
Hope everyone is having fun and remember to be safe.

See you down the road.

2010-04-12T20:20:00.005-04:00

This is the view of the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. We see this every evening from the front window of our Rv. Life is good. We are living the life of Riley and I am with my wonderful husband.
For anyone that is thinking of doing this life full time, you really need to love and like the one you are with before you do this.
I am really enjoying seeing the wonderful places that the good Lord has created here on this earth. It is a wonderful masterpiece.
Also there is some strange looking animals here on Key West. Love seeing new things. Here is a picture of one of the Iguana that is here at the campground.

The Blue Angels were here this past weekend. I think we are following them. I enjoy watching them.

Will keep you posted as to what is happening here at Key West.

Cocoa Beach

2010-04-04T18:17:00.003-04:00

We are in Cocoa Beach Florida. The campground here at Patrick Air Force Base is very nice. It is close to the beaches and close to area attractions.
We went to see the Nasa Space Center Visitors Center on Saturday. It was so interesting to see all the past history of the Nasa Space Center. We enjoyed a movie about the Hubble Space Telescope at the IMAX theater inside the center.
On Monday we will watch the Space Shuttle launch from the base here in Cocoa Beach and then get some errands done. We will be moving back to Key West on Wed. or Thursday. Will post pictures later.
Everyone have fun and be safe.

Air Show

2010-03-18T15:57:00.007-04:00

Hello everyone, We are at MacDill Airforce Base Famcamp for a few days.

This weekend they are having a air show with the Blue Angels. This will be my first time watching them perform, so I am very excited.

We are right across the street from the office. And beside the office, on a light pole is a nest with 2 Osprey and their babies.

I sit at my window in the morning and watch him or her go out and find food. Here is today's catch.

Of course, I am a animal lover and enjoy watching all their antics and whenever someone comes near they start giving them a warning not to come any closer. Have seen them kind of swoop down with another warning.
I keep telling Leo what a lucky bird he is, he doesn't have to go out looking for his next meal and he has a warm place to sleep.

We are enjoying out stay here, while we wait for Lazy Days to finish with the Santara. They have had it 2 months. Should be ready next week and then we have to decide what to do with it.

We have drove around the adjoining parks looking for some shells and at one park we saw a woman pulled along the side of the road and she was feeding the Racoons. I don't think this is a very thing to be doing.

Will post more pictures later and everyone have fun and be safe.

Waiting

2010-02-24T17:49:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone.
We are at Sumter Oaks in Bushnell Fla. Still waiting on Lazy Days to finsih with the Santara. And then we will have to make a decision on what to do with it.
Here are a few pictures of the inside of our new to us Motor Home.
These are before we put our stuff inside. Don't have any yet of the inside since we have moved in.

We are loving it. Finally found room for everything that we decided to keep. Spent some more time organizing everything inside and Joe is still working on the compartments on the outside. I love all the wood work inside. No more painted woodwork. I can finally use Lemon oil on the cabinets, instead of putting another layer of paint on them.
Joe spent a few of our nice days, polishing on the outside. While I worked on the inside. Pulled all the filters in the ceiling and all the fan filters and cleaned them.
On another note, our girl Jaelynn was in a beauty contest. She won her age group. Also prettiest eyes, most photgenic and of course prettiest hair. She won a trip to state in May. Corey and Jennifer are not into the pagaent circuit but it is fun for now. She was not in a good mood, so since she loves the Wizard of Oz so much, he decided to have her start singing. Somewhere over the rainbow and to start marching. That always cheers her up, and everyone loved it.
She didn't wear the tipical pagaent dress. She had on her winter outfit. Hear is are some pictures.

Can you tell how proud her Nana is of her. Here is one of my favorite pictures.

Ok, I guess that is enough bragging for now. Hope everyone is staying warm and having fun. Be safe.

Update

2010-01-02T16:26:00.003-05:00

Hope everyone had wonderful holidays. Joe and I are in Marathon Fla. We are staying a a Pass Port America park (Jolly Roger). We will be here until Wed. and then drive the rest of the way to Key West.
As some of you may already know, we bought a new to us rig. It is a 2006 Newmar Kountry Star. It has everything that we were looking for in a new rig and then some. I believe it has more than we thought about. But we are really looking forward to the upgrade.
Which will be sometime around the first of Feb. Here are a few pictures.

Congratulation's to all the others that have new homes. It is a good way to start the new year.

Looking forward to going to Key West. Hope to see the Silver man on Duval street.
Everyone take care and be safe.

Grandbaby and Balloons

2009-11-14T12:54:00.007-05:00

Grand babies are so much fun. Our son, our daughter in law and Miss Jaelynn flew into Vegas, for a visit with us and the bright lights. What a good time we had. Visiting with each other and see the sights of Vegas. They really enjoyed the laser show on Fremont street. Love that part of Vegas. I believe Jaelynn probably has a crick in her neck from looking up so much.
We did walk the strip and she got to see some characters on the sidewalk. As you can see from this picture she is just not to sure about the blue M & M.

While we were in Vegas, we stayed at Sam's Town. Very nice Rv Park. Everything you need is there at Sams Town. They even had a shuttle to take you to the strip. There is also a free water and laser show inside of the Casino/Motel. Very cool. Of course a great time was had by all. Just look at Miss Jaelynn with Joe. He is called Daddy Joe by our grand children. He calls Jaelynn (Sweet Cheeks). She will just grin.

It turned a little chilly while they were here, but we still had a great time. Hated to see them go but it did help with me missing them. So now it is not so long till we see them again.

Today 11-14-09, in Sierra Viesta they are having the Hot Air Balloon
Festival. I was there at 7:00 am to watch them set up and launch.

While I was watching, I saw a line of people at this one balloon. So being curious I walked over to see what was going on. Well I found out they were giving free rides. So of course I got in line. They were stopping at 9:00. I got to ride at 8:55. Was the last one to get to go up, whew that was lucky. Anyway I got to ride in a balloon, it was awesome. Even if it was tethered.

This evening from 5 til 7, they are haveing the Balloon Glow and Joe and I will be going to watch that. It is not as big as the one in New Mexico but it is my first one and it is still amazing to watch the crews get everything ready and to watch the balloons take flight.
Till next time everyone have fun and be safe.

Sorry

2009-10-16T18:58:00.002-04:00

Sorry that I have not been posting on my blog. There is no excuse. Just lazy I guess.
Just a short update about The Jones'
We are in Yuma Arizona at Kofa SKP Park. We have been going to Mexico checking out the dentists and getting our eyes checked. Joe got new glasses and I got new contacts.
Today I took Joe back to Mexico today and they pulled all of his teeth and put dentures back in. They do look good. But to me he is handsome no matter what. Now he has a prettier smile. He will like it once the feeling comes back.
Everyone take care and have fun.

On the road finally!!

2009-09-13T23:36:00.011-04:00

Yes we finally picked up our rig and hit the road. I don't know who was happier, Joe and I or Leo. No more hiding for him and we get to sleep in our own bed. Yeah!
So we are getting out of Missouri and going to Dodge City. Which we found out is just another tourist trap. Of course we enjoyed looking around the town and walking the trail of fame. Which have stars in the ground with peoples name in them. Like the stars in Hollywood.

Here is a picture of boot hill.

Here is Joe on the train going to no where.

The Santa Fe Trails, they say are from back in the pioneer days when settlers crossed Kansas in their wagons.
Sure was a ruff way to go. And cold. Out in the open with no shelters except their wagons. We have it so easy now adays. I am so thankful for all that I have. I am blessed.

We did find a park right inside of Dodge City and it was ok. We saw a really neat motor home that parked right in front of us. It is a 1965 Auro van. It was so low to the ground and of course it was made way before leveling jacks, so the guy had to pull up on boards to level it. Love seeing stuff like this on the road.

It was drizzling rain in Dodge City so we decided to just head on toward Colorado. We stopped in La Junta Colorado for the night. We called Brenda and Roger and made plans to meet them today for lunch. Joe called Jim and Bobbie and they will be meeting us also.

We meet up with everyone in Fort Farland Oklahoma.
Here is our welcoming committee.

Roger and Brenda Cyrus

Jim and Bobbie Chapman

We all had lunch together and enjoyed the food and the friends. When we left there we decided to go to Southfork Colorado, where Jim and Bobbie are staying. Jim said he would throw some ribs on the grill and we would have a cook out this evening. Now you know me and BarBQ. I can not hardly turn that down.

So we pulled in and got all set up and headed over to the Chapmans for the cook out. The sun was shining and everyone one was enjoying sitting outside.

Then here comes these dark clouds and it starts to thunder and lightning. When the first drops started to fall we thought they were awfully loud. Well it turned out to be hail. Yes you heard right it was HAIL.

Thank goodness Rich and Terry had a room that we were able to use. So we just moved the cook out inside. We all had a great time. As always the food was great and the company even better. Thanks to our host and hostess for the wonderful meal.

Kansas, Missouri and more waiting.

2009-09-13T22:21:00.008-04:00

Yes I know that I am way behind on my blog. I apologize. We have been very busy since I last posted. We had to put our RV in the shop to have a new roof put on. We had a new one put on in March of 2008. But we were not happy with the results and around the back air condition unit was a soft spot. So after talking to the insurance adjuster he told us we could take to Shoreline in Smithville Missouri and they would be able to put a new one on.
Talking to the owner he said they could have a new one on by Thursday maybe Friday. Well this was on Monday. So we loaded up our stuff and Leo and hit the road looking for a Motel that would excepted pets.
We ended up in Kansas at the Comfort Inn. They had said that they allowed pets, but when we got there they really only excepted dogs under 25 pounds. They wouldn't let us stay, even though Leo only weights about 1 pound. Oh well we started looking again. Found one right down the road that the clerk told me to just sneak Leo in the back door and keep him quiet. Poor Leo, he has a hard time being quiet all the time.
Now that we had a place to stay we decided to do the tourist thing. We went to see the worlds largest badminton birdie. HUGE.

We did some other touristy stuff and decided to try the casino for dinner. We had a coupon for buy 1 get 1 free buffet. When we were walking into the casino, I saw a sign that said all you can eat crab legs. One of Joe's favorite foods. We spent a little time trying our luck at the machines then we went to the buffet. Man was it ever good. And had a huge selection of food.

We did take a tour of the Harley Davidson Factory. That was a very interesting tour. We were not allowed to take pictures inside of the factory. But we did enjoy the tour. It was also very clean inside. Here is a picture of the front of the building.

Here are a few more pictures of some interesting things we saw while we were waiting for our rig.
This cute truck was in front of the Russell Stover Factory. I think it is to small for us but it sure is sweet.

Here is a neat carving we saw in Shawnee Kansas. As you can see it is carved out of concrete. Very interesting.

Here is Joe standing in front of the carving. Who is this other woman?

Here is a different angle. You can see how large it is.

We went back to Shoreline to check on the RV and it wasn't ready. And when I looked inside all the bedding, the mattress, the carpet in the bathroom, and the rugs were soaking wet. Well I just marched into the office and asked Todd the manager why everything was
wet in the rig. He walked out with me and saw what I was talking about and told me it had got wet while they had it backed out of the garage. And while it was out, it started raining. He assured me that everything would be dry and he would send all the bedding and rugs to the cleaners. Anyway they said it would be Tuesday, because of course Monday was a holiday.

So we had to start looking for another place to stay. We found another Comfort Inn, Joe wanted a hot tub and we had to have one that allowed pets of course. Well this did and we didn't have to hide Leo. But the hot tub was tore up and would not be fixed while we where there. Oh well, we are just so ready to spend the night in our own rig and sleep in our own bed.

More site seeing. Then we went to get the rig and it still was not ready. Joe and the insurance agent were not very happy with Shoreline. But they promised that it would be ready on Wed. after 12:00.
So we drove over to Atchison Kansas and found a nice Hotel and it had a hot tub, indoor swimming pool and a sauna. Leo liked it there too. Nice town with a lot of history. Seems like every town you go by has a historic part. Alot in this area had to do with the railroad. This town was also the home of Amelia Earhart. That was very interesting.
Went back to Shoreline on Wed and they were just finishing up and was getting ready to pull it outside and was it.

So we are finally on the road again and headed toward Dodge City.
More on the next post.

On the road again!

2009-08-25T21:19:00.004-04:00

We left Land between the Lakes today and headed west. We drove 184 miles and we are now sitting in Lower Redman Creek Campground. It is a Corps of Engineers Park. When we arrived we drove around and found a site that was empty and that was not already reserved. We put down the jacks and put out the slide. When Joe went to plug in the electric, it did not work. We thought it was the Rv at first but then when he would hit the box the lights would flicker. So we drove around and had to find another site. We chose another site and set up and then it was time to eat. Thank goodness I had made enough enchilada's yesterday and all I had to do was heat them up.

After dinner, Joe went to set up the satelite, and of couse no signal. So he had to get the external one out and by the time he did all that it was to dark. So he will start fresh tomorrow.
This is a very nice campground. The sites are long and spacious. I think we will enjoy our stay here.

Enjoying Land Between the Lakes

2009-08-22T23:08:00.015-04:00

Joe and I got up early and headed for Kuttawa Ky. I had read in one of our pamphlets about a Bar-B-Q cookoff there. So off we went. It was a nice drive.
On the way there we passed Lighthouse Landing, so loving lighthouses like I do of course I had to stop and take a few pictures.

When we got there it was on the banks of Barkley Lake. The cookoff was sponsored by Early Times Whiskey and they all so were sponsoring a fishing tournament. Here a picture of their boat they had there.

We walked around the area looking at all the vendors and smelling all that barbeque cooking on all the smokers. We were ready to eat, but we had to wait until 11:00. The judges were judging the food. Joe and I asked at the tasting booth, if we could be a judge. But get this, you have to go to school to be a taste tester (Judge). I never knew that. Oh well. So we walked around some more and finally we were able to buy our lunch. Here is a picture of our pulled pork sandwich plate. You got a sandwich and 2 sides for 5.00. Not to bad.

We took out lunch to the car and drove off to find a picnic area. But we decided to bring it home and eat it there. When we got home I had part of my lunch, Joe went to take a nap and I went to the Nature Station. They charge 4.00 a person. Which is not bad. They give you a map and send you out back to see all the animals. I saw coyote's, fallow deer, white tail deer, wild turkeys, bob cats, vultures, owls, hawks, snakes, fish, turtles, red wolves, opossums, and two of my favorites, eagles and hummingbirds.

These are such amazing little birds. I love to sit and watch them fight over the feeders, they are so territorial.

After supper we headed for the Elk & Bison Prairie to see if we could see any wildlife. We drove around for ever and finally decided that we had got there to early. Finally we saw a herd of elk.

We also saw two big elk bulls.

And finally we saw some Buffalo and Wild Turkeys.

After we got our fill of wildlife we to the Planetarium to watch a show about the planets.

Waiting for the rain to stop

2009-08-20T10:20:00.007-04:00

My commitment to the Escapees is finally over and we can return to traveling. As we say vacation mode. My time was up on Saturday and we left Racoon Valley Rv Park and headed to Cumberland Gap National Park. We wanted to be close to the family so that we could say goodbye and spend a few days with them.

Jenelle is finally into her new house

and she says that it is haunted. We told her that it is just settleing. She started college at the University of Tennessee yesterday. So now she is a new home owner, worker and a student. That makes me tired just saying it. We all helped load up her stuff and transfer it to the new house. Here is Miss Jaelynn waiting at the trailer for the first load.

We have been doing a few errands and spending time with the family. Miss Jaelynn makes us smile and laugh, all the funny faces that she makes. And be careful because anything that you say she repeats. To funny.

Joe got his new toy (new airplane) last night. It is a lot bigger than the first one. Hope he enjoys it.

We are waiting to see if the rain stops today before we head out and hit the road. The radar is not looking very promising. But if not then we will leave when it does stop. We will be heading to Tucson. Very slowly. We still have 3 states in the middle that we need to add to our map. Here is a picture of Joe putting a protective cover over the map. And his little helper. She would watch everything that he would do. She is so sweet.

Still counting the days!

2009-08-06T11:07:00.001-04:00

Ok we are really supposed to be rolling down the hightway right now. But I was asked to stay 2 more weeks to help out here at Heiskell, Tn. Which really worked out fine because Joe has tests for the next two weeks.
It will also give us time to help our daughter to move into her new house. She will sign the papers and pick up the keys tomorrow. And she will be a new home owner for the first time. We are very proud of her.
We also will have more time to see the rest of the family. Joe went Tuesday and helped Corey pick up a swing set for Miss Jaelynn. Now they will have to pick a day to put it back together.
As everyone knows Red (half of the Too Krazy Ladies) fell and broke her hip and had a total hip replacement. Please everyone keep her in your prayers. Remember they are adoptees of the Class of 2007. They are part of our extended family.
Joe's dad (Butch) is doing better. He is still a little weak.
We are not sure where we will be going when we leave here. Since it is later than we planned we won't be going north. Will try to keep you informed about our where abouts.
Everyone have fun and be safe.

Counting the days!!

2009-07-25T20:03:00.002-04:00

We have 6 days and a wake up before we can hit the road(to Lexington Ky). But at least we can move on down the road.

Today we drove to London Ky. to meet some dear friends. Paul and Connie Anderson. They had a two hour drive and Joe and I had a one hour drive. Yes ours was shorter, only because we were supposed to go and pick up (Butch) Joe's dad. But he was released from the hospital on Wed. and he was still feeling pretty weak.

We all met at the London Flea Market. We walked inside and talked for a while, then of course we decided to go and eat. We all agreed on Mexican, our favorite. The food was excellent, the service great, but the company was priceless. And a class of 07 fix. We really enjoyed our visit. Paul and Connie can make you laugh all day.

Joe took some pictures and I am sure they will be posted on his blog soon.

We parted company about 4 oclock and went to see Butch. Connie had baked him a cake. Of course she knows how Joe is and so she baked two cakes, just so that she would be sure that Butch got his cake.
While we were visiting, a weather report showed a strong storm heading toward Knoxville. Well we had left the awning out, so we headed toward the rig. I drove and tried to outrun the storm the whole way. We did beat it and was able to put the awning in and are now eating Lasagna and relaxing.

This week we will be getting ready to move, packing and cleaning.

Everyone have fun and be careful.
See you down the road.

RAIN AND THEN MORE RAIN

2009-07-12T19:46:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone. It is has been raining for over an hour. Not just drizzle but pouring.The small creek behind the RV Park is over the banks and over the bridge. Joe and I were sitting here playing hand and foot with Skip bo cards and watching out the rv window at people going to the creek and getting stuff that was floating down the creek.

Then we see this guy going with some ropes and chains, so of course I had to go and check out what was going on. A fellow camper was out there and it was his boat that was lodged against the bridge and several people were helping him try to dislodge it.

There was an RV that came in when it first started raining about 6:00pm and the water was up to the back of his rig.

I thought everyone was going to have to pack up and leave.
What a storm. We even had strong wind and hail.
It is 8:00 now and it is still raining but the water is going down and I don't think we will have leave. Never a dull moment in the life of a full timer.

Everyone have fun and be safe.

Class Reunion

2009-06-30T20:56:00.006-04:00

It's been a while since I posted. We have been busy. Last weekend was my 30th class reunion. They had one on the 5 year and the 10 year but I was unable to attend. When I found out we were having a 30 and that we were actually going to be in the area, I asked Joe if he would go with me. He said yes.
We moved the RV over to Middlesboro on Thursday evening. We were having some more work done on it on Friday. Shocks and emergency brake.
Friday morning we were up at 6:00 to have the rig at the garage at 7:00. Then we went to Joe's dad and I did some things around the house that needed to be done. Friday evening we picked up the rig and drove over to Cumberland Gap National Park. It is a very nice campground.

Friday at 6:00 the class of 1979 was having family night at one of the area parks. I really enjoyed seeing my classmates from high school. Some had changed and some still looked the same. People were saying that I looked the same. But I don't think so.

Saturday we had a family reunion at Joe's aunt Stelmo's house in Heiskell Tn. Joe's dad went with us, they sure did have some good home cooked food. We visited with them for a while then headed back to Middlesbor. I still had to find a outfit to wear to the reunion. The dinner was being held at the Middlesboro Country Club. I had lived in Middlesboro for 45 years and had never been inside of the CC. At 7:00 we arrived at the CC and they started the attivities at about 7:30. We all gathered around and had a few pictures taken of the group.

Then Billy Joe said grace and we all dug into the wonderful finger foods that they had for us. It was delicious. Then the party started.Joe and I had took the Margarator. But Joe was my designated driver. The only place we had for the Margarator was back in the kitchen, so when someone wanted something to drink they would come and get me and I would go and get them a margarita. For some reason they wouldn't go without me. Well that was kind of back because when I would fill their glass, somehow mine would get filled too. LOL
The DJ was one of mine and Joe's old rescue squad members. He did a pretty good job of playing a lot of the 70's and 80's. If you went to him and made a request he did his best to play it.
We had a ball when he played Loco Motion.

And of course we had to do YMCA. Some times we couldn't spell but everyone had alot of fun trying. Our theme song for our Junior and Senior Prom was Stairway to Heaven. We had made a request, so when the song started playing I drug Joe out onto the dance floor with me. He doesn't like to dance but he will sacrafice hisself for just one maybe two dances. But from the looks of the picture, he wasn't complaining to much.

Needless to say I had a great time. I hope Joe did. He says he enjoyed taking pictures and watching me dance. He is such a terrific husband. How did I get so lucky.

Looking forward to the 35th reunion. If we are in the area.

Sunday evening we drove the rig back to Racoon Valley Rv Park in Heiskell Tn. I had to go back to work on Monday morning.
We only have 4 more weeks until our committment with the Escapees is done and we can go back to vacation mode.

Till next time everyone have fun and be safe.

Father's Day

2009-06-20T20:06:00.002-04:00

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, To all the Father's out there. Hope everyone has a great day either making new memories or reliving old ones.

We are winding down another week here at Escapees Racoon Valley Rv Park. It has been busy. Working the first three days. But on Tuesday we made a trip to Middlesboro to sell some motorcycle stuff.
Thursday Corey brought the grand babies over to visit and to swim. We all had a great time. But they sure does wear you out, wish I had all their energy.

Friday Joe went to the car auction and bought Jenelle a car. We worried about her driving one that she has. This one is nice and clean. Runs and looks good. Hopefully it will last her a long time.

Today our friends from Ohio Phil and Linda Roberts left heading back home. We enjoyed spending time with them. They got to meet Corey and the babies and Jenelle. We spent the rest of the day with Jenelle. Just messing around the house and then we went to the store to get the stuff to fix fried bologna sandwiches. Just like my dad used to make when he had a resturant. Man they were so good.

Tomorrow we all will go over to Joe's dad's to spend some time with him. And of course to make homemade bisquits and gravy. Yum Yum.

Hope everyone has a great day.
Have fun and be safe. Till next time.

Day with the kids

2009-06-10T20:47:00.004-04:00

Well tomorrow (Thursday) will be my last day of work for the first week. Only six more to go. It's slower here than the other places that I have worked. But we have great Managers. Kris and Jim Todd, we worked for them at Bushnell Fla.

Today (Wed) Corey brought all the grand babies over to spend the day with us and to go swimming. We had a great time with them. But man do they wear me out. But that is the good thing about grand children you can play with them and then give them back. And take a week to recoup.
Our daughter Jenelle received some good news yesterday.She was approved for her home loan. Her and Joe went to look at the property today and they will start on hers next week. It is supposed to be finished the middle of August. She is really doing good here in Knoxville. She will also start college in August.
Everyone have fun and be safe.

Racoon Valley Rv Park

2009-06-07T08:30:00.004-04:00

We made it to Escapees Racoon Valley Rv Park. Checked in the office and since we will be here for 7 weeks and I am hosting, they told us we could either be up front or way in the back in the corner. Well you know us and we chose the corner in the back.
Jim and Kris Todd are the managers here until the 1st of August,the same as us.
After we got set up, our daughter (Jenelle) came over. She lives right here in Knoxville. She made the move from Staten Island NY, last year at the time. We were staying here in the same park. She stayed with us while she looked for employment and an apartment.
Now she has her own apartment and 2 jobs, and she starts school at University of Tennessee in August.
Yesterday we went to the Green Acres Flea Market, I have never seen it so empty. but listening to the regulars, looks like Sunday is the day to browse the flea market. Any way I found a slow cooker, like Miss Molly's. I even had to call her and tell her about my find. Now she just needs to send recipe's.
We came back to the rig and Nellie went home to rest and Joe started cleaning all the mud off of the tracker. I painted new boards for the leveling jacks to sit on.
I had to put out the hummingbird feeder. Love to sit and watch them fight over the food.
Work starts on Monday. Will be working Mon. Tues. and Wed. Not a bad deal and get to see family and friends while we are here.
Till next time, have fun and be safe.

2009-06-04T07:06:00.003-04:00

We arrived back in Kentucky on Sunday. First thing we did was go to the store to get the fixings for Biscuits and Gravy. We always gather at Butch's (Joes dad) for biscuits and grave and call everyone to come up and it's a good way to see everyone at once. And we had to check on Scott and see how he was really doing and not just what he wanted to tell us. He looked like the old saying (Road hard and put up wet). Corey and Jennifer brought Jaelynn up to Butch's to see us. Corey had to work, so Joe and I put a rush on the gravy and biscuits so he could eat before work.
Miss Jaelynn is sure growing, by leaps and bounds. She will throw you kisses and wink at you. Love those kisses.

On Monday, I went to the lake with Corey and Jaelynn and some of his friends from work. We had a blast. He has two wave runners and they are fun. We all took turns riding. Here is Corey posing Jaelynn on the wave runner just for pictures.

Corey's friend Sarah, has a camper at the lake and we were able to just play around her dock. Jaelynn was having a blast splashing in the water.

I love to babysit Miss Jaelynn, while her daddy gets his work around the yard done.

If it is not raining today, we will be moving over to Heiskell Tn. to Racoon Valley Escapees RV Park. We will only be 1 hour away from the family. Our daughter Jenelle lives in Knoxville. So we will get to visit with her some while we are there.

Till next time have fun and be safe.

ESCAPADE 2009

2009-05-28T00:56:00.012-04:00

We are having a great time here at the Escapee Escapade.
There is always something to do. Lots of classes and lots of people to see. We volunteered to help Bob Pinner, drive the golf cart around the fair grounds and offer rides to people.

Of course the first couple of days were great, and then the rain started. And when you get rain, you get mud. Mud and heavy duty trucks and RV's do not mix. There were a lot of people stuck in the mud and the wrecker service is staying very busy.
Here is a picture of one gentlemen's van and Rv.
I do believe he will be very busy cleaning the mud off of both of them.

We have had several '07' get togethers. The margarator made an apperance at the potatoe bake. And if you look close you will see two of them. Faye was getting lessons from Joe on how to make Margarita's.

Today was the Pet Parade. Here are several pictures of some of the entries in the parade.
Hank and Patty's dogs, Scooter and Molly.
3 Yorkies (triplets)
The Clown
And the other 3 are therapy dogs

And there was even a bird named Dusty. Dusty's owner would lay him in her palm and with her other hand she would act like she shot him and he would play dead. Wonder if I could teach Leo that. LOL

And Elvis and Peggy Sue even made an appearance!

Wonder what Fay had to promise him to get him to do this? What a great sport he is.

Till next time everyone be safe and have fun.

Finally at Escapade 2009

2009-05-22T23:18:00.010-04:00

We have been running around with the Carter's. It's nice to have someone traveling with you and spending the evening sitting around trading stories. We all left Kelly park in Burlington Kansas and headed toward the Escapade. We stopped off at a small city park in Windsore Missouri. The price was right, it was only 10.00 a night.

The next day(Wednesday) Joe and I left and headed on into Sedalia. We traveled 30 miles. Boy was we tired. Jay and Fay decided to stay at the city park and drive in the next day. We got to Tire City and they said they had an opening, so Joe drove the rig on into the bay and 2 hours later (and a good chunk of change) we drove out with 6 new tires.

We decided to go on into the Fair grounds, they had full hook ups for 18.00. It was pretty hot. This way we would be able to run the air. There was only 3 other rigs there when we pulled in. Thursday, Jay and Fay and Lulu pulled in about 9:00am and Greg and Jean arrived about 12:30.

The Too Crazy Ladies arrived about 6:00 pm. We all did what we do best when we all get together, EAT. I just thought that since everyone was traveling that they wouldn't feel like cooking, so I told everyone not to worry about dinner. I fixed chicken salad, a recipe I got from Brenda. Thank you Brenda.
Friday was moving day. Again! But this time it will be until the last of the Escapade. Joe led the way and the guys followed in the
RV's and the ladies followed in the cars.

Here is Paul Anderson hard at work!

Connie Anderson giving Greg directions on where to park.

After everyone was settled in we had a pot luck. And of course, there was way to much food. But it was all good. A good time was had by all. From the class of 2007 ,there was Paul and Connie, Fay and Jay, Bob and Molly, Greg and Jean,Joe and myself. Friends we had met in Bushnell, Fla. Rich and Mary. And new friends, Keith and
Donna.

After we all stuffed ourselves, Joe put on a one plane show for us. He's getting pretty good, I believe it is time for an upgrade.

Till next time have fun and be safe.

Busy days

2009-05-18T14:46:00.009-04:00

Yesterday (Sunday) was a day to get stuff done. Faye and I decided to go do laundry, so we could also wash our rugs. In Escapee parks you are not allowed to wash rugs in their washers. While we were gone the guys were doing their own thing. Joe's was fixing the plug on the tracker.

Jay's was getting rid of some hitchhikers he had picked up on the way to Burlington Kansas.

And Lulu was just relaxing in the sun. She had to take a nap because she was wore out just watching the guys work so hard.

Faye decided to help Jay wash the RV and since Joe had the pressure washer he helped. They did a great job. Now she is ready for Escapade.

Overall it was a very productive day. And the dinner was also very good.

Today (Monday) we drove to Nuwa to take a tour of their factory. Well when we got there, we were told that they had stopped production in December and wouldn't start up again until June. But they did let us go in the back and look through the 5er's they had in the building.
After that we drove through the town of Chanute Kansas. We found Cardinal Drug Store. They have an old fashioned soda fountain and we decided to go in and get a soda. Well when we went in, they told us that the carbonation was out of order. So Jay bought a chocolate malt for him and Faye to share. Faye and I went into a shop next door to look at the window display and when we came back out, Jay had eat or drank the whole malt.

.

So on the way back from Chanute, I reminded Faye that this is Monday and that the little mexican restaurant up the street has $1.00 Margarita's on Monday and Tuesday. So guess where we are going and Jay will be the DD.
Till next time be safe and have fun.

Never a dull moment

2009-05-13T21:54:00.001-04:00

When we got up this morning the sky was blue, but it was very windy. About 1:00 we decided to go on down the road. Well when we got everything together and in it's place, Joe put it in gear and the rig just sat there. Oh no the wheels were spinning. We were stuck. So out we went and the tires were sunk into the ground. Joe got out some of our spare wood and I went in and jacked up the back of the RV.
Got back in the RV and the wheels were still spinning. So we unhooked the car and tied a rope to the front of the Tracker and the back of the Rv. And to my amazement the tracker pulled the stuck RV out. Wow. So we hooked back up and off we went.
Now we are sitting in Burlington Kansas at Kelley Park. It is $6.00 for water and electric. If you are over 60 it is only $4.00. And a good thing we are on blacktop, so no sinking!
Till next time have fun and be safe.

Wind and Rain

2009-05-13T09:42:00.003-04:00

We left the Carter's and headed north. We had no certain place that we were going, just meandering down the road. If you drive the back roads you just never know what you might see along the way.
We saw these metal sculptures along the road and just had to stop to take pictures of them. Pretty cool. Of course we are in Kansas so we did find the Tin Man. Now where are the rest of the Oz group.

We found a nice city park in Madison Kansas.

So we are sitting here waiting out the winds and rain. The lake is pretty full and rising.

Yesterday we even had some hail, about the size of nickels. Today the sun is shining but it is still very windy. Not sure if we are moving or staying. Depends on how Joe feels today.
Till next time, everyone be safe.

Moving day

2009-05-11T12:13:00.002-04:00

We will be moving on down the road today. Heading for Kansas. We hate to leave good friends, but we will be seeing them down the road.
We have really had a great time with the Carters. And for some one that says she can't cook, she has done a fine job of being Miss Betty Faye Crocker. LOL
Joe has been looking on the computer for places to stop and he has found a town in Missouri called Climax. Of course we have to go there to put that on our list of places we have been. Just like Intercourse Pennsylvania. Just to say you have been there.
Life is great when you don't really have anywhere that you have to be and you can just pick a place and go. Life is great.
Everyone be safe and we will see you down the road.

Keystone State Park

2009-05-09T13:11:00.012-04:00

We left Roger and Brenda on Thursday. It had been raining and we saw a clearing in the weather and decided to hit the road and head toward Tulsa. Roger and Brenda were excellent hostes, they treated us like royalty. Thank you guys for everything and we will see you all down the road. Be safe.

We are in Keystone State Park in Oklahoma visitin with our
friends, Faye and Jay Carter. As you can see Faye is using her hands to tell us a story.

Here is a picture of Miss Lulu, Jay and Fayes baby.

We are enjoying our visit. Of course the weather has been cloudy and looking like it is going to rain. Friday, while Joe and Jay took a nap, Faye took me to see her horse (Trigger).

Saturday,when we got us this morning the sky was blue, but about 9:00 the clouds were rolling in. Faye and Jay invited us over for a cookout. We had the privilege of meeting part of Fayes family (The Weavers). There were about 20 of us at the cookout. About the time we started setting everything up, the blue skies returned. It turned out to be a beautiful day.

Here is Jay cooking the crew some hot dogs. And doing a fine job.

Here is a picture of Faye and her two sisters (Regina and Linda) and her brother John.

Lulu, just relaxing in the sun.

Everyone enjoying the food and company.

And of course The Margarator was out in full force.

Our time here with the Carter's is about over and we will be heading to Kansas, then to Missouri.

Hope everyone has a Wonderful Mother's Day, where ever you may be. Enjoy the one you are with. Till next time. Be safe and have fun.

Waterfalls and Wildlife

2009-05-05T23:30:00.010-04:00

We are at Roger and Brenda's home base, located just outside of Ft. Smith Arkansas. They are actually in Oklahoma. Yesterday was a catch up day. Brenda made some awesome Chicken Salad. And for dessert she made a Paula Dean Kentucky Chocolate Pie. Yes I had to have a sliver. Man was it mouth watering good.
After lunch we decided to go to the casino and play the slots. What a blast. I laughed at Roger a lot playing the monkey slot machine. We all had a good time.
Today, Roger took us on a tour of the area mountains. We went to Devils Den and Ft. Smith State Park.

Here is a picture of Roger and Brenda in front of the Dam at Ozark-St. Francis Natural Dam in Arkansas.

On our way to Devils Den, we encountered a minor obstacle. Where we have had so much rain, the creeks were up. So Roger had to drive through some water to get to the other side of the road. He really enjoyed playing in the water.

And so did Joe!

Roger was telling us about a huge Beaver dam and we stopped on the side of the road to see it. Here is come pictures of the dam and of some wild life we saw. Of course we didn't see the beavers. They were probably tired from working so hard on their dam.

On the way to Ft.Smith State Park, I noticed some deer in the woods and we stopped to get pictures. There were 5 of them. Here is a good picture of one before they all took off down the hill.

We stopped at Devils Den to see the water falls

and to have a picnic. The waterfalls were awesome, the food was delicious

but the weather was lacking some sunshine. Even Roger was complaining about being cold, and he hardly ever gets cold. But it was an enjoyable day. After we got through site seeing we went to this store called A to Z. And they had a seperate store for just about everything.
After shopping we all decided to go to Western Sizzlin to have dinner. It was very good.

Brenda, Joe and I decided we wanted to go play Bingo at the V.O.A.
(Veterans of America). We talked Roger into going with us. Of couse Mr. Lucky won tonight. He is on a winning streak. Which is good. While we were there it came another huge storm. I'm tired of rain and want to see some sunshine. I need some vitamin D in the form of sun, instead of a pill. Jay and Faye please have some sunshine when we get there. Even though we have not had good weather, we are enjoying our time here in Oklahoma. It's always nice to see friends in new places.

Till next time be safe and have fun.

On to new places

2009-04-29T23:34:00.007-04:00

It is finally time to raise the jacks, pull in the slide, hook up the tracker and hit the road. I have enjoyed our time here in Livingston. Meeting new people and old friends.

We have gotten to know Beth and Red (the too crazy ladies) better while we have been here. They will be at the Escapade in Missouri, so we will see them there. We also enjoyed seeing our fellow classmates. When you go to new campgrounds, it is great to see faces that you recognize. Makes you feel like you have family members close. I guess in a way, they are our family. They are our RV family.

Sometimes you see some strange things. In the 6 weeks that I have been hosting here in Livingston, some campers would come into the office and tell us that there was a birds nest on some camp sites and ask us not to put anyone on that site. Apparently a certain bird would lay her eggs in the strangest places. On the electric box, in the grass and now there is a nest in the middles of site
113.

She layed 2 eggs last week and two more this week. She will sit on her eggs no matter what. Someone did pull into the site this past weekend and she didn't move. The guy saw after he got out of his truck. Even during all this heavy rain and wind that we have been having, she will not leave her eggs. There isn't even a nest. She just layed her eggs in the gravel. When you walk close to her she spreads her wings and gives a warning sound, like don't come any closer. Anyway these little birds are called Kill Deer. What a big name for such a small bird. They are really very unusual. Here is a picture of the bird sitting on her eggs.

I'm looking forward to meandering on down the road. We are going to Ft. Smith Arkansas to see Roger and Brenda. Then to Tulsa OK to see Faye, Jay and Lulu. Then we are going to Kansas. And then to Missouri. Looking forward to our first Escapade, and seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Till next time, Love Marcia

A great visit

2009-04-21T08:36:00.007-04:00

The wait is finally over and our son arrived for a short visit at 4:30 am on Monday morning. He is in the Army and has been in Iraq for 12 months. He arrived back in the US and after checking in at his base in Arizona, he flew to Ky to see family and his 3 boys. Then on his way back to AZ he stopped off to see us. He looks good. Now get this all, he can't stand the heat. While we were sitting outside yesterday, Joe and I were enjoying the sun and the 70's. But Jon was complaining because he said it was hot.
Jon and Joe decided to play some pool. Of course Joe win's. Here is a picture of the two of them.

s

We went out to eat at one of the Mexican places here in Livingston. After dinner we decided to stop and fly Joe's plane. He is really enjoying this new hobby. Thank you Leland. I believe he is ready for a bigger one. Jon did really well with his turn at flying the plane. I guess all these years of playing video games has his fingers very limber and quick. Here is a picture of Joe's plane and of Jonathan getting ready to fly.

We have enjoyed his visit. Wish it could have been longer, but he has to be back at base Thursday morning. He wanted to leave this morning about 6am but didn't get on the road until after 7am. He will call us when he gets there, probably not until 1 or 2 am Wed. morning. Everyone keep him and all the armed forces in your prayers. And remember when you see a vet whether active or retired, THANK them for their service. Till later, Love Marcia

2009-04-19T10:55:00.002-04:00

When Jaelynn was born we bought her a pink Dogwood tree.As you can see pink and purple are her colors. Corey planted the tree in the middle of his Creeping Flaux in his front yard. In the first picture he layed her in the flowers. She was a month old. In the second picture she is a year old. I can't believe how fast she is growing. When the tree blooms he will stand her in front of it and take a picture and then I will post both last years and this years picture.
Of course a couple of weeks ago I posted a picture of Joe and I in a field of flowers. Do you think the two resemble each other? Nature makes the best back ground. Just thought I would share this with everyone. Till later, have fun and be safe

Everyone left to Meander

2009-04-16T08:24:00.006-04:00

Well all of our fellow class mates are on the road again. We have 14days and a wake up left. We had a great time with fellow class mates, playing games and eating of course.Greg and Jean left this morning. It is sad to see everyone leave. But like Marty said, it's not saying goodbye its we'll see you down the road. That is one of the thing's that is so interesting. You never know who you are going to meet up with around the corner.
As Joe told and showed you all on his blog, I had my hair cut. It will take some getting used to. But it sure does feel better. I'm hoping that that is what has been giving me headaches lately. So far so good. Not a lot going on here except it just keeps raining. At least it's not the white stuff.
We do have good news. Our oldest son Jon is back from Iraq. He has been back in Ky visiting with the family and our boys (his sons-our grandsons). He is leaving Ky today and will be coming to see us for a few days. We are looking forward to seeing him. Some of you met him in Casa Grande when we all went for mexican. Well till later

Killing Time

2009-04-12T01:39:00.003-04:00

We are just killing time in Livingston, Tx until we can hit the road. I am looking forward to going the our first Escapade in Missouri. Seeing our 2007 classmates. And experiencing the Escapee Escapade.
We are having a mini reunion here in Livingston. There are 9 of us here.
Today we will be going to the Club House for a big Easter Dinner. There will 14 at our table. Looking forward to having some ham. Each of us will bring a side dish. Of course I will be taking a garden salad and deviled eggs. One of Bob Pinner's favorites. That way I know of 3 things that I can eat.
I want to ask my fellow class mates to remember Miss Faye (Betty Crocker) Carter in your prayers. She will be having knee surgery on the 27th of April. The doctors will be repairing her left knee. They won't do anything for her right knee for a while. They said she needs a total knee replacement, but that she is to young. So everyone be thinking about her and praying she makes a fast recovery so that maybe she and Jay can come to the Escapade.
Some friends of ours that we met in Quartzite Az will be coming into the park for a visit today. Looking forward to seeing them. Some of you may remember them, their names are Roger and Brenda Cyrus. They would come and visit us at the camp fire. He is the one that has a motorcycle like the one that Joe did have.
Hope everyone has a Happy Easter.
I got an email today with information on my class reunion. 30 years. Man am I getting old. It will be in June. Thankfully we will be in Tn. at that time and it is only an hour away from our hometown. Looking forward to seeing old friends that I've not seen in a long time.
Be safe and we'll see you down the road.

She's walking!

2009-04-06T11:10:00.005-04:00

Miss Jaelynn Faith Jones
One year ago, we were in Texas having a new roof put on the RV. We were trying to get back to Ky. before the arrival of our grandaughter. But as luck would have it we didn't make it. But we finally did make it. She was beautiful. Of course I may be prejudice. This year on March 8th she turned 1 year old. Joe bought me a roung trip ticket, to Ky. What a wonderful husband I have.
I just recieved an e-mail from our daughter in law, telling me that Miss Jaelynn is walking! Of course Joe and I was not the only ones that missed it. Corey was a work and Jennifer was at the store. When she got back to pick up Jaelynn she was walking around with her hands in the air and then she would clap for herself.
So now nothing will be safe. She will be able to get into everything. What were we thinking? Wanting her to walk? Just like talking once they start they never stop. But isn't that wonderful!
She is also drinking from a sippy cup. The bottle went away. That's what they told her. She is growing up to fast.

What a Life!

2009-04-06T00:34:00.004-04:00

You know if you wait until something happens to post on your blog, it may be awhile. Because the life style we lead is wonderful. Like this week has been a lazy week. Well not really lazy, but just hanging out at home and getting a few things done here. Like cleaning out cabinets and rearranging things. And no I don't do it to confuse Joe. He will still be able to find the things that he'll be looking for.
It feels good not having to be or go anywhere. We have been getting to know our fellow class mates, Greg and Jean and their dogs. We played Hand and Foot tonight, and the gals won. It was a close game. We haven't seen Marty for a few days. Last we heard he was getting a few things done in his 5er.
We have more class mates coming in tomorrow. David and Kathy.
I've been keeping up with everyone's blog. Some are like me and haven't posted in a few days.
Not much going on here this week. Joe did make me a clothe's line for the ladder on the back of the RV. That will come in handy, now that it's spring time.
Everyone have a great day and until next time.

Stop and smell the flowers

2009-03-29T23:44:00.010-04:00

Well I have made it through the first week of work. It is sure different here at Livingston, than it was in Bushnell. It has been Very busy. Of course people are coming in for the Health Fair that starts on Monday, March 30th. Plus some were coming off the road to get away from the high winds that we have been having. Anyway the park is almost full. We only had 7 empty sights on Saturday. We are in the part of the park that they call The Oaks, but we will be moving to the Hill as soon as a site opens there. It's farther away from the office but closer to the clubhouse and activity center and we hope the TV reception will be better there. It's 12 feet higher in elevation up there.
A co worker came by the office yesterday and asked if Joe and I would like to go out to eat with a bunch of fellow co workers. I asked Joe and he said yes. We went to a place called Florida's. I am sure glad that Kay made reservations, because when we pulled up, the parking lot was full. Most of the time when the parking lot is full that is a good sign that the food is good, and this was one of those times. The food was excellent, Joe and I had the Florida's Sampler and it was plenty. It had ribs, catfish, french fries(for Joe) and a salad for me. Tom another co worker had the Chicken Fried Steak and it was so big that it took the whole plate and they had to put his sides on another plate. He had enough left over for two more meals. If you ever get to Livingston, I recommend that you go to Florida's. When we got back to the campground, Bob and Molly had arrived in the park. We went over and welcomed them to the park and went for a walk before it got dark. When we got back to their rig we decided to play a game of Hand and Foot. The girls won.
Today(Sunday) we told Bob and Molly about Floridas and we all decided to go and try it out today. And Bob and Molly loved it. The place is not much to look at outside but inside it is clean and the food is terrific. Molly and I had the special, which was baked chicken, roasted vegetables and a salad. Bob had ribs, vegs, and a salad. Joe had a huge barbeque sandwich. The bun was even toasted.
He and I had enough left over for another meal. Below are some pictures of the restaurant.

On the way back from the restaurant, Molly and I had spotted a field full of Blue Bonnets. They are everywhere here in Livingston.
We asked Bob to pull over so that we could take some pictures of the flowers. When he pulled over we all got out of the truck with our cameras and everyone started taking pictures. I don't believe I have ever played in a field of floweres before. I believe that is one of the best things about our life now. You can stop and smell the flowers(and even play in them). Life doesn't get much better.
What a wonderful day we had today.

Here is Joe laying down and taking pictures of the flowers. Now remember he is not much of a flower person. But I believe he was impressed with the beauty of it and the smell of the Blue Bonnets was wonderful.

Even Bob and Molly were enjoying the look and smell of the flowers.

That dirty 4 letter word (Work)

2009-03-26T20:17:00.002-04:00

We made it to Rainbow's End in Livingston Texas on Sunday, March 22.
This is a very large park. Checked into the office and they said I would start work on Thursday. We got set up and had something to eat, then we went looking aroung the park. We went to Social hour and got there just as they had started. The lady that was hosting social hour caught us as we walked in and we had to stand in front of everyone and tell who we were and a little explanation about our life. I found a pinochle game in the Club House. While I played cards, Joe watched Kentucky bsketball on tv. They sure do play a different kind of pinochle than what I am used to. But that seems to be the way with all card games at Escapee parks.
Yesterday (Wed) while Joe watched Ky play basketball on tv, a lady from the park named Vera and myself went to Bingo. While we were there we could hear the rain and thunder going on outside. I called and checked on Joe and he said he was trying to hold the Rv down. He did a good job, because when I got home it was still in the same spot.
Today we went to the Parks yardsale. They sure had a lot of stuff to sell. I went to work at 1:30. Everything is divided into two parts. The Oaks and Rainbow's End. Each has a register and seperate registration everything. But it was a learning experience.
It will be fun, and we will only be here for 5 weeks. Then we get to go and play for a month. Looking forward to not having to be anywhere for a couple of weeks and just do what we want.
Well gotta go, will post more later.

1st Annual Class of 2007 Reunion

2009-03-23T22:34:00.023-04:00

We arrived at Alamo Fiesta Rv Resort in Boerne Tx on Sunday March 15, 2009 for our 1st Annual Class reunion. We all met last year in Quartzsite Arizona. It's amazing how you pull in and didn't know a sole and when you leave you have a whole new Rv family. They are very special people. And it's amazing how often you run into some of them on the road.

The top picture is from 2008 and the bottom picture is 2009.

Here are pictures of classmates that were at the reunion

We saw friends we had met last year and made new friends this year. There are a lot of people that went full time in 2007 that we just meeting this year.
A good time was had by all. Norah did a great job as Wagon master. but the whole class did their part in helping with everything. We had alot of different foods.
The first night was a baked potatoe night. You bring a baked potatoe and a topping to share with everyone else.

Tuesday was St. Paddy's Day. It started with a breakfast. Molly won a ribbon for 2nd place. But the funny thing is she also won first place for her burnt crossiants. I won't put a picture of those on here just her 2nd place winner.

Of course we had happy hour and am I seeing double, yes double margarator's. They were kept busy. One was for margarita's and the other was for strawberry daiquiri's. The following pictures are of some St. Patty
s (Paddy's)Day fun.

Every one brought a can of vegs or a can of non condensed soup and added to the pot. Molly cooked 2 roasts for the stew. Polish sausage was added to the vegs. It may not sound real good, but this is some good stew.

Here is Chef Bob, stirring the huge pot of Hobo Stew. Enough to feed the class of 2007.

Happy hour was a lot of fun. The food was green, the drinks were green and as you can see quite a few dressed in green.

Wednesday morning's breakfast was egg casserole, biscuits and gravy, and finger foods.
Happy hour was a Chocolate & Liqueur/Cordials tasting. Here is just a few pictures of the happy hour. What a good time. But almost anytime the class of 2007 gets together, we have fun.

Wednesday evening after the Chocolate Happy Hour, there was a Chili cookoff. We had 7 pots of chili. There were 3 judges. After the judges were through taste testing, everyone else took samples from each of the 7 pots. The winner was not announced until after everyone had finished eating. The judges said it was close. But the winner was Joe. Can you believe that. He's the one that tells everyone that he doesn't cook. But I now know that he can make Chili. He won first place and an apron and chef's mitt. How cool is that!

Thursday morning's menu was Eggs in a Bag. We had a great turn out for this. Some had never heard of it and some others had done this before. We had a good time, showing everyone how to make an omelete in a zip lock bag.
The Dinner that evening was Fried Turkey's. Yum Yum. Bob, Joe and Myself cleaned the turkeys, then Bob, Joe, Bill, Jim and a few others fried 3 turkeys and 5 turkey breast. And what a fine job they did. We called in Thanksgiving in March. Everyone brought a side dish and of course just like every other time, we all ate to much.

During the week there were a few workshops that you could participate in. Patty did a T-Shirt braiding class.
Hank did Geocaching, Marty did Genealogy, and Molly did a blogger workshop. And of course the clubhouse was open during the day. Some of the ladies did beading, crocheting, knitting and of course there was the puzzle table to help everyone relax.
I would say that this reunion was a success. Lets see where next years will be held.
To those that couldn't be there, we missed you and hope to see you next year, or on the road. Be safe and have fun.

Class of 2007's mini reunion in Florida

2009-03-20T09:00:00.005-04:00

Last January in Quartzsite Arizona, in the middle of the desert something happened and just keeps on happening. The class of 2007 got together and had a great time. We had great fellowship, huge campfires, awesome meals and a bonding with each other, just like we had known each other all our lives. When we all went our seperate ways, who knew that when someone said we will see you down the road, that that really is what happened. Seems like everywhere we go we see at least one if not more of our fellow classmates. It is just terrific.
We have been in Fla since Oct. 31st. I am camp hosting at Sumter Oaks Rv Park. When we got here, Paul and Connie Anderson were already set up on site 11, thier favorite site. Then Von and Christina Starkey arrived for a few days. Everyone enjoys playing Mexican Train or Hand and Foot(using Skip-Bo cards). Thanks Molly and Bob for teaching us the game out in Q. Then some more of our class kept arriving, can't tell the dates but here is a list of classmates who came to Fla. These are not in the order that they arrived at Sumter Oaks. Paul and Connie, Christina and Von, Trisha, Bob and Molly, Leland and Cathy, Bobbie and Jim, Bill and Leslie,Linda and Ron and from the class of 2005/2007 Smokie and Pam and Bill and Helen Moll. Also good friends Jim and Eileen Keller. Joe's dad and our daughter Jenelle also came to visit. I would like to appologize incase I have forgotten anyone. If I have let me know and I can edit this post.
We thought we were coming to the Sunshine state to keep warm. Wrong. While we were in Q lastyear, it was warm during the day (in the sunshine) but as soon as the sun went down it got Cold. People would tell us that it was colder than normal. Well now we are in Fla. and they are telling us the same thing here, and in Q it is warmer than usual this year. We believe the cold weather is following the class of 2007.
But no matter where we go or what the weather is, we always have a great time getting together with our fellow classmates. The following pictures are just some of the good times we have enjoyed with classmates, while in Florida. As you will see most of those good times include food.
The following pictures are not in the order that they were taken. But I thought you would enjoy them.

New Year's Eve at Sumter Oaks RV Park
Connie having fun!

Whistle Stop in Bushnell. Good food and big portions.

A great little restaurant Werdahecamiat. Not much to look at but they had really good food.

Connie fixing her famous Lasagna. It's big enough to feed an army or the class of 2007 which is a small army and there was enough for everyone to take home leftovers.

A small gathering at the Hayseed in Webster Fla.This luncheon was at the same time, as the luncheon in Texas. We all had a great time and good food. But our fellow classmates in Texas were not so happy. Apparantely, over half of them did not get their food. And the ones that did had a very long wait. Sorry guys.

In this picture Connie, Joe and myself went for a airboat ride at Sleepy Hollow. I really enjoyed the ride. We saw some baby alligators and lots of birds. The driver took us over the water, the land and even did some 360's. It was great.

Here we are waiting for our $5.00 steak, potatoe and corn on the cob. What a deal.

We decided to do Thanksgiving in Sumter Oaks with the Class of 2007. As you can see the Class will use any excuse to get together and have a great meal. Here is Joe, Bob, Jim and Bill frying turkeys. Which were awesome.

Here is the group after we filled our bellies and looks like we are waiting for the Margarator.

One day the group decided to go for a canoe ride.

Here are the leaders of the pack. Paul and Connie. It was a interesting day. Enjoyed the day with friends and had lots of laughs. Have you ever floated down the river, 5 canoes abreast. We decided we were tired of paddleing so we just got in the middle of the river and each of us held onto the next canoe and that way the ones in the middle were able to take a break. It worked real well until you came to the real shallow spots. That was a little tricky.

After the day of floating the on the river, of course we had worked up an appetite, so we ate at the little place that was right as you came out of the water. Here is Connie trying to get her mouth around the huge sandwich.She's doing a good job

This is the group at Golden Corral. Bill and Helen were with us. They are with the class of 2005. Joe's dad was down for a visit and he joined us for dinner.

BIRTHDAY GIRL

2009-03-14T12:05:00.003-04:00

March 8th, 2009 Miss Jaelynn Faith Jones turned 1 year old. The first picture has a table set up with pictures of her events in her first year. My how she has grown. Here is a picture of her dress. It was beautiful. Not as beautiful as the birthday girl. There is a picture of the front and back and her hat. Also one of her eating her cake. I had a wonderful time in Ky with family and friends. I'm glad that my wonderful husband bought me a plane ticket to Ky so that I didn't miss this special day. Anyway here are some pictures of her special day.

The morning of her birthday, sleeping like a princess.

Jaeylynn with her proud parents (Jennifer and Corey).

Look how much she has grown. I can't believe she's a year old.

This is my niece, Jordyn she is 13 going on 20. Where does all the time go. It just seems like yesterday that they moved to Ky. and she was asking me Maunt Marcia (that's a combination of a aunt and a mom) will I be as tall as you and dad. Well now she is almost there.

GOOD FRIENDS AND GOOD FOOD

2009-02-21T16:51:00.008-05:00

Molly and Bob has found a new place to eat. They invited Joe and myself and Paul and Connie to meet them at Sleepy Hollow to enjoy some lunch.
Another great time with friends of the Class of 2007. And we only go to the finest places.

They have a special. New York Strip Steak, baked potatoe and corn on the cob for $5.00. How cool is that.

You buy a dinner ticket and go to the grill and order your steak the way you would like it cooked and they cook it right there in front of you.

Here we are doing what we do best. It seems like whenever the class of 2007 gets together, there is food involved. And as always, having a good time.

After a great dinner, Joe, Connie and myself decided to go for a air boat ride. That was awesome. We had to idle past all the houses, then when we got out in the open, the driver took off his hat and Connie and I smiled at each other because we knew the fun part was coming. While we were out on the water we saw a nest of baby alligators, White Egrets, Sand Hill Cranes, and a lot of other birds that I'm not sure the name of. The driver took us over the water and the dry land. At one time he did 360's, that was fun. I really enjoyed the gliding over the water. Joe said he would definitely like to ride the air boats in the Everglades.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T14:19:00.014-05:00

Here is my sweet husband. I recieved 2 free tickets to the Camping World 300 race in Daytona Fl. And being the sweetie that he is, he sacraficed himself, and came to the races with me. Normally he is not a race fan. But now we can say that we have been there and done that. Isn't that a great saying in the RV life.

This is the section where our seats are. The Lund section.

Here is Joe, driving a Richard Petty simulator race car. Looks like he is really concentrating on his driving.

Daytona Speedway. I never would have dream't that we would be sitting here waiting to watch a Nascar race.

After they announce the drivers, they are driven around the track. This is one sharp Corvette.

Here comes the jets for the fly over. What a sight. It gives you chill bumps just seeing them.

Here they come with the pace car, just about ready to start the racing.

This is one of the many cars that wrecked today, the crew is just checking with the driver to make sure he is ok. Which he was.

Here we are together on Valentine's Day, 2009 at Daytona Speedway. Just think we had our first date on Valentine's Day in 1976, at a Valentine's dance.

Since we were already in Daytona, we decided to go for a drive on Daytona Beach.
And while we were driving, we saw a young couple getting married on the beach.

It has all been worth it!

2009-02-09T21:04:00.009-05:00

Here is a picture of our map, that is on the side of our RV. When we started out on June 09, 2007 it was empty. Each time we spend the night in our RV in a state, we add that state sticker to our map. It has been 20 months since we started full timing in our RV. We have been in 39 of the 48 continental states,and we hope to add the other nine in 2009. We have seen many beautiful sites along our travels. When the map is full we will start over, and take more time to visit places we missed along the way.
The back roads are almost always the best way to go. You just never know what you will see along the highways and byways of this beautiful USA. I am so glad that I said yes, when Joe asked me to sell everything and go on the road.
Although this life is not for some, we really enjoy the time together and making new friends and precious memories along the way.

Good friends and Good food

2009-02-09T20:35:00.007-05:00

Mollie's homemade Birthday cake, baked by Connie. It was a Red Velvet cake.

Connie's Lasagna was enough to feed an army, or 14 very hungry people. We had lasagna, salad, french bread,chicken catchatorie and of course birthday cake.
Below is a picture of Connie and Paul in front of their new home. It is in Ocala Florida. They are still planning on traveling in the summer months. Hope to see them in Missouri for the Escapade.

It seems like whenever the Class of 2007 get together there is always good friendship and good food. It was Molly's birthday,(as if we need an excuse) so we had a party. There was 12 from the class of 2007. Paul and Connie Anderson of course. The birthday girl Mollie and Bob Pinner. Linda and Ron Fleeger. Jim and Bobbie Chapman. Marcia and Joe Jones. Bill Borger and Leslie Thomas. And Mike and Paul local friends of Paul and Connie.
Everyone had a great time and as always it is nice getting together with our classmates.

Joes hobby

2009-02-03T13:36:00.012-05:00

As everyone knows Joe has put me to work. So while I am working he gets a little bored. So here is his new hobby. Macrame. He's redoing our chairs. Here he is with his first chair. Good job Joe.

Here is a closeup of his finished chair.

I like this one the best. The pattern is one that Joe thought up himself!

Butch's visit

2009-01-25T11:39:00.001-05:00

This is a picture of Joe's dad (Butch). He came down from Ky, to enjoy some sun and to visit. Of course, its as it was last year, every where we go , its colder than normal. So here he is sitting in the sun with his coat on. But enjoying the company.