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| "From Darrell's Chair" Archives |
| This page will be used to share my thoughts
with you as I sit in my chair and contemplate the daily events that take place during our fulltiming journey.
Hopefully
you will enjoy the entries, learn a thing or two, and have some
chuckles along the way as Judy and I continue "Wandering America". |
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Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama
We've Moved!! Please Go To Wandering America With Darrell and Judy Patterson blog from now on. Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama What can I say about my good friend (actually family member) Norm? What ever he does, he does first class all the way. Last night he and Linda had us over for dinner and Norm prepared the meal which was scrumptious. We had BBQ'd ribs (and chicken), potato salad, beans, coleslaw, and Texas toast. Man, if only I could have eaten another mouth full I'da had another helping of ribs - they were to die for!!! For dessert he had prepared brownies (With Walnuts), yum, yum. Someday he's going to make someone a great wife; oh, wait a minute, he already has - Linda, you're one lucky woman!!! Thanks guys, we're sure gonna miss ya - just maybe you'll see your way to join us this summer (and be our tour guides for the journey west next spring?). Spence and Barb joined us for dinner and they brought a bottle of ChocoVine, made in Holland, to enjoy with our brownies. Wow, that sure was some good stuff!!! It's a mixture of chocolate and red wine, two of our favorite things. The six of us had a great evening of doing just what Escapees do best; chatting, chewing, and chuckling. Yesterday's doctor appointment went extremely well. I definitely have some sort of sinus infection and now have some antibiotics to help fight it as well as a steriod nose spray. Hopefully that will take care of it and I will be able to regain my sense of smell. Oh yes, while we were waiting for my prescriptions to be filled we visited the little shop that they have at the VA Outpatient Clinic where I found a U. S. Coast Guard hat. I've been wanting one for a long time now but, have not found any along the way. So, for nine bucks I have a new hat. Like I've always said, "If you have the bread, buy something for your head!!" Today we'll finish up buttoning up the hatches in preparation for getting underway. We'll start with a trip to Walmart to stock up on provisions and then knock off the rest of the items on our ol' Ta Do List and that will be that. We'll even have some time left over to sit out on the lawn and enjoy our last day here at Rainbow Plantation. Well, this is a bittersweet day. This is the last day for "From Darrell's Chair" - at least for awhile. Maybe I will revive it again later. Judy says not, but what does she know? Ouch!! Yes Dear!! She sure knows a lot!! Anyway, beginning tomorrow you'll find us at the Wandering America With Darrell and Judy blog where there will generally be a daily entry. As you read what this page was supposed to be about (see above), you'll discover that it wasn't really meant to be a daily journal but, more of a place to write the various thoughts that I have. Some of those thoughts, however, are better kept to myself and not put into writing but, in any event, my intent was to establish a commentary and not a journal. The new blog will allow us to journal our daily events as well as to be able to insert pictures a whole lot easier. So, beginning tomorrow morning, there will be a welcome entry on the blog and tomorrow evening you will be able to read about our first travel day as we begin our summer travels. As you know, we were going to wait until May 1st but, it was a lot simpler to set up the blog than I had imagined and it just makes sense to start making entries in conjunction with "hitting the road again". Here is the link to the new blog; http://wanderingamericawithdandj.blogspot.com/ Being that it is such a long address, we recommend that you save it to your favorites which will allow you to access it with just one click of the mouse. As always, we are thrilled to hear from our readers so be sure to leave a comment from time to time and/or email us with your thoughts (comments and suggestions). So, see you there tomorrow. Monday, April 19, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama "It's beginning to look a lot like . . . Traveling?" That's right, things are pretty well buttoned up here on East Traveler Street. I have almost all of the "high" work done on the wax on / wax off project. There is just one section left to be waxed where I can get it from the ground and, also, above two of the slides that I will get Wednesday morning after the slides have been pulled in for travel. We have the basement compartments all organized; the shed has been organized and the lawn furnishings have been stowed. The wheel bearings have been greased and the brakes on the coach have been adjusted. The truck has been repaired as well as the oil changed and all fluids checked. Also, all doctor appointments will be behind us (both humaniods and katts) by day's end. Tomorrow I will check and air up all the tires and the air bags, install the Pressure Pro sensors, and load up the bikes while Judy does the final inside preparations for getting underway (blue jobs / pink jobs). By the time we finish it will be "all systems go" with around T minus 22 hours and counting. We always plan on departing somewhere between nine and ten in the morning. It's sad to see everything come to an end here at Rainbow Plantation. It has been a good stay (however, a cold one) but, our house has wheels for a reason. If we wanted to "stay put" then we would have a more permanent structure - that will come in time but, right now it's - "On The Road Again". Sunday, April 18, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Yep, the "Wandering America With Darrell and Judy Patterson" blog is all set to go. It's been poked, pinched, and prodded with nothing left to do, 'cept start using it. So, with no further adieu, let the show begin. Therefore, we will officially start publishing the "new blog" in conjunction with our departure from Rainbow Plantation - that is, we'll start publishing the blog on Wednesday rather than waiting until May 1st and "From Darrell's Chair will become silent, at least for a little while. I could start another blog entitled "From Darrell's Chair" that would contain all my wit and wisdom - we'll just have to see about that later. Katie and Alex are getting all excited about the prospect of "hitting the road". However, they'll not be happy campers tomorrow morning when they visit the vet for their annual shots. Katie does not like to be "poked, pinched, and prodded" (there, I used the same phrase twice in one entry - how cleaver of me). She doesn't like her nails done or her hair brushed nor does she like to be held unless it is on her terms; a Prima Donna in the making here folks!! Alex, on the other hand, just doesn't like the vet; or should I say, that he doesn't care for the male vet. He referred to Alex as a Texas sized katt and was afraid of him; therefore, Alex took advantage of this vet by hissing at him and making him think that he was about to attack. Alex doesn't even know the meaning of the word attack. Anyway, he tolerates Dr. Julie because she takes command and that makes Alex feel a little more secure. In any event, Katie and Alex will be ready to roll along with the rest of us come Wednesday morning. And roll, we will. Today I should finish the wax on / wax off and we should have the shed all organized (emphasis on the word, should). It will be just a matter of count down from this point on with just a few last minute items left to do; like a trip to Wally World to fill the larder, for instance. Being that this is Sunday morning, it's now time for us to go and get ready for church. So, we'll see ya tomorrow - take care until then. Saturday, April 17, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama The weather just continues to be wonderful and the wax on / wax off endeavor continues to move right along. I should finish the coach by Sunday. That will leave a little rearranging in the shed (mainly cleaning out) and putting away our yard "stuff". Then we'll be ready to move on out come Wednesday. Norm stopped by yesterday with his hydrometer and we took some readings on the batteries. They turned out to be in "fair" condition, all I could hope for for a couple of five year old batteries. We'll be able to get another year's use out of them which will give us some time to figure out what our lifestyle with the inverter will be. Once we have some idea as to how much "boondocking" we want to do, then we will be able to decide what to buy for batteries. Should we want to do a lot of "boondocking" then we'll get 6 volt golf cart batteries; if we continue to live pretty much as we have been for the past three years, then we will get 12 volt Group 24 batteries. If we live somewhere in between then we can always step up to a higher group 12 volt battery. I "signed up" to help Gary in the kitchen this morning - this is the last Saturday morning breakfast at the clubhouse until next fall when all us "swallows return to Capistrano" - so I best be off and shower this shapely little bod of mine (yes, round is a shape). But, before I go, be sure to take another look at our new blog. I have all of the defaults set now so we want to know your thoughts; tell us what you like as well as what you don't like. In the meantime, be sure to spend time with someone special today and we'll see ya tomorrow. Friday, April 16, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama We got ourselves out the door early yesterday for my eye appointment with the Retina Specialist. The good news is that everything looked good. I may have, emphasis on the words "may have", some age related macular degeneration starting in my left eye. I was told by the optometrist that I "did have" AMD starting in my left eye but, the retina specialist says that it just needs to be watched and is not necessarily macular degenration. As I walked out into the sunlight I couldn't even keep my eyes opened but, by noontime they had pretty much returned to normal which is highly unusual from my past experience. Being that I could see, I decided to tackle the re-insulation of the underbelly. It took me a couple of hours but, I got that job behind me. I just hope that the dump valves, or anything else, doesn't need to be worked on because there will be a lot of insulation to remove to gain access. We bought R-30 attic insulation to "stuff" in the underbelly; what the manufacturer had put in there was pretty much useless. Anyway, that job is now behind me and we have just a few more things to get accomplished before heading out next Wednesday. Now, to finish the wax on / wax off task. Miss Judy has been attending a couple of beading classes this week. She wants to get back into her beading basket weaving endeavor. "Alex No!" enjoys beading as well; actually, he enjoys most of his mom's basket weaving endeavors and is always willing to participate and/or help out. We have been putting an entry on the Wandering America Blog each day just to learn more about the features available as well as uncover any glitches in the process. It appears to be pretty clean and simple but I tend to become anal about these things and want to know everything. I'm trying to lock in some of the default features so that we don't have to stop and make the same changes for each and every entry before publishing. Things like making Comic Sans the default for the font and our border selection for pictures. I'm not sure it can be done but, if there's a way I will find it. However, keep in mind that these entries are pure dribble, have not been proof read, and the pictures have absolutely nothing to do with the narrative. Well, it's off to see the Wizard, the Wizard of Wax that is!! Where ever you are and what ever you're doing, be sure to have a good day. And remember, "Only you can prevent forest fires!" Thursday, April 15, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Remember about a month and a half ago when I had to go to the Retina Specialists for floaters in my right eye. Well, this morning is my follow up appointment. That means that I'll be spending the rest of the day squinting with sun glasses on - I hate having my eyes dilated!!!! Most likely, I'll just go lay down and take several katt naps until my eyes get back to a level where I can see again. It will take pretty much the entire day before I become some what functional again. Yesterday was a very productive day. I spent most of the day waxing the RV. With only six days left before traveling we still have to get several things taken care of. The katts have doctor appointments and I have one last doctor appointment to see if we can solve my loss of my sense of smell issue. It would be nice to get my sense of smell back because it greatly impacts my taste as well and that's no fun. I guess it's all part of the aging process so, my advice is to not grow old!!! I have tinnitus in my left ear, floaters in my right eye, and can't smell a darned thing - what next? I think we have the new Wandering America blog all set. We will continue to make bogus entries over the next couple weeks to see how they come together. I've been into every "nook and cranny" of Blogger seeing what else is available and have pretty much done the same with Live Writer, The new blog will definitely be much easier to maintain but, I will give up a lot of control that I have over the Wandering America website. Trade offs, trade offs. By the way, all of the entries up to May 1st will be deleted and we will start fresh at that time. This is it!!! Today is tax day. We have already received our refund from the Federal Gummint and, yesterday, we mailed our check to the New York State Income Tax Division. We have owed the New York Gummint money every year for the past three year's workamping at Lake George Escape - this year it was forty-six bucks. That's all behind us now and next year there will be no state income tax forms to fill out - Hooray for our team!!! Well, take care, have fun, and be blessed. Oh yes, don't forget to hug your katt today - he/she deserves it!!! Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama We just love this weather. One day right after another of nice warm sunny days. And the prediction is for another week; hopefully little longer than that since we are getting underway in a week from today. Yes, the countdown has begun. We still have a few items left to do but are pretty well ready to hit the road again. With this nice weather, East Traverler Street is just buzzing with activities. Our neighbors are out and about working on their gardens, watering the lawns, washing and waxing their rigs, or just sitting outside sipping their sweet tea (or wine). Yesterday Judy and I joined Chuck and Jan for awhile to just sit and chat. That was nice, in the past we'd have done that quite frequently but, with the cold weather this past winter people just didn't sit outside. However, next week the place will be quite vacant. Bob and Kleo left this week, Al and Sally, Bob and Pam, Ron and Connie, Judy and I will be pulling out next week leaving just a half dozen others behind with most of them departing shortly after we leave. It is that time of year, the season where us fulltimers begin hitting the road; some heading north for a few months while others of us will be Wandering America. Speaking of Wandering America, here's a link to the new blog. Keep in mind that most of the writing is just dribbling so that we could review the layout. The pictures have absolutely nothing to do with the narrative but are just another part of the test. I think it is done, however, we'll probably do a little more tweaking as we continue to discover more options in both Blogger and Live Writer. All of the posts and pictures that are currently published will be deleted when we "go live" on May 1st, however, the other pages are all set. You may leave us comments and/or suggestions on either site. Now, you may ask, "why wait until May 1st?" Darned if I know. It just seems like a nice place to make a new start plus it will give us a couple of weeks to play with some additional options and finish tweaking before we begin making daily journal entries. So, again, we would love to hear thoughts about the new blog. Email us at Wandering.America@yahoo.com and please include the word "Preview" in the subject line. Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama I don't screw up very often (maybe once every five years, or so) but, when I screw up I do it big time!!! If you remember right, a few weeks ago I changed out the dump valve on the bath water holding tank (thank goodness it wasn't the black water tank). Anyway, it is very tricky to reassemble the valve assembly without the one of the gaskets slipping off the flange; if that happens then you get leakage (well, duh), I thought I had gotten a good fit up, however, yesterday I noticed water dripping from the underbelly of the coach - not a good thing to say the least. So I crawled under the coach and pushed up on the underbelly and a deluge of water came rolling out. My thoughts were, "Oh shucks" or something along those lines. I rounded up my tools and began removing the underbelly panel and more water came rushing out. Where did all of this water come from? Now think back a little over a week ago to when we began our "off the grid" experiment. I had closed all of the tank valves, therefore, all of the bath water had leaked out of the tank and into the underbelly of the coach. What a mess, to say the least. I did manage to take apart the valve and reassemble it correctly with no further leakage, however, now I have to go to Home Depot and acquire some new insulation and reinstall it before I can replace the underbelly panel. Just one more item on the ol' Ta Do List. Oh well, I'm glad I discovered it now and not after we got underway. If this were a Dear Abby letter I would have to sign it, "Stinky in Summerdale"! Even though it was just bath water, there is still an odor to it. Other than that, yesterday was a great day. The sun was shinning brightly and the temperatures got well up into the eighties: today promises to be the same. I worked on my "special project" and got some outside input from the experts. Shortly it will be ready to go. "And just what is this project?", you may query. In a few more weeks we're going to migrate from the website to a blog, so I have been designing it; doing the layout, choosing the features, and colors. I published what I have developed so far to a "panel of experts" for their input. Most of the blog is complete, however, some tweaking still remains before we "Go Live". There will be plenty of advanced notice with links, etc., so that you'll be able to make a smooth transition. Right now the blog will replace From Darrell's Chair and, will most likely replace our Wandering America website by the end of the year (that is to be determined later). One of the short falls of the website has been the difficulty of inserting and maintaining pictures in our daily journal entries. The blog will enable us to do that easily on a daily basis without fear of losing the old pictures. Plus there are a lot more features available in the blog to update it and make it look very appealing. Well, it's time to go walk my bride, so y'all have a great day. Until later. . . . . . Monday, April 12, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama No, we've not departed from the face of the earth. I've been busy working on a project and will let y'all in on it shortly. It's taking a little longer than it should because, as Judy tells me, I'm a perfectionist. Anyhow, I'm back, at least for the moment. Saturday was a great day. We finally got ourselves out of Rainbow Plantation and did something. We went with Randy and Terry to the Strawberry Festival in Loxley. In reality, it is more of a craft fair than a Strawberry Festival, however, you could buy some strawberries but, what was high on our agenda was the strawberry shortcake. It was yummy and worth the trip all by its self. You can take a look at Terry's blog for some nice pictures of our empty dishes. After making the loop around all the vendor's tents and viewing their many and various wares we headed for Foley. Judy and Terry wanted to do some shopping at Tanger Mall while Randy and I made our way to Lowes - the toy store for big boys. Randy needed some parts for his new air compressor while I just wandered about getting ideas for my next project (installing a reel for our water hoses). Terry found some ear rings that she desperately needed but, Judy was unable to hunt down those elusive shoes that are needed for the wedding - does it ever end? All in all, it was a successful hunt for the Guilers. The little orange guy showed up flashing the "Feed Me" sign so we made a stop at Applebee's for Lupper (or as Terry calls it - Dunch). We enjoyed sitting, chatting, laughing, and chewing. As a matter of fact, we didn't get enough chatting and chuckling so we manned the lawn chairs once we got home until the evening dew began settling in. Yesterday was a routine Sunday for us. Church in the morning, taking a walk about the Plantation, and I worked on my afore mentioned project. So, thar ya have it; the day of departure is quickly descending upon us therefore I must begin the "Wax on, Wax off" ritual today. Saturday, April 10, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama It's a good thing that we will be getting underway in a week and a half. With most everyone gone and us just crossing thangs off the ol' Ta Do List, I'm running out of things to write about. I had thought about just writing some stories of old; things that happened while I was growing (man, I'm still growing up - and out). Now that might be some interesting reading but, I would have to be careful because I might just incriminate myself and someone with handcuffs may show up at my door. This internet sho' 'nuff can be fun but, it can be revealing. I can say that the new Intelli-Power 9200 Converter with Wizard Charger is working just great. We are getting a much fuller charge into our batteries which equates to more "run time" when living off the grid. With that and the Cobra 1000 watt inverter we are ready to do some boondocking. We, also, know that we can last at least a week on 120 gallons of potable water and our holding tanks with no bath house facilities. We can go a week and a half if we have bath house facilities; I will use them so that I don't have to take Navy showers. Yesterday I tried trouble shooting the TV antenna issue. While sitting here in LA we don't get all of the stations that are available. Others with the same batwing antennas get all of the stations. We added the "wingman" and did pick up an additional series of digital stations, however, the wingman makes the antenna more directional. To be sure that our television tuners pick up all of the stations I attached a pair of rabbit ears without amplification. No problem, both televisions picked up all of the stations available. An earlier test confirmed that the amplifier works. There is a definite loss of signal when it is turned off. So I thought that it maybe in the cabling so I ran a new cable from the antenna to the wall switch that turns on the amplifier. We were able to pick up another series of stations but not all of them. Hmmm! It has to be something in the Sensar antenna system. But, just to make sure, I took the rabbit ears up on the roof and plugged them into the cable; we couldn't get all of the stations. That may isolate the problem to the wall switch; I should have by-passed the wall switch while the rabbit ears were on the roof but, just thought about that now - I'll have to try it. I emailed Winegard (maker of the Sensar Batwing) and one of their techs emailed me back stating that we were in a "high signal" area; therefore the amplifier distorts the signal, however, we need the amplifier to get a signal so we should install a two way splitter between the wall switch and the television. I tried that and lost more stations so, obviously that's not the answer. Right now, the only answer that I have is to buy a cheap set of rabbit ears in order to get all of the stations, however, we wouldn't really watch the other stations anyhow. I just want to be able to get all of the stations available. While we were in Bunnell, Florida we didn't get any stations while our next door neighbor was getting several. I suspect that when we are in Tallulah Falls, Georgia this summer that we won't get the "one and only" OTA station available unless we find the cause for this problem. Oh well, just one more thing to figure out; there is an answer out there someplace. If anyone has an idea let me know. Last night Miss Judy and I went for a stroll around the park and met Don and Judy Collins, another one of our fine readers. It is always fun to meet new people; especially fun when they recognize us whenever we are out and about. Did I ever tell you that one of the best parts of this lifestyle is making new friends? Friday, April 9, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Nothing really new to report. Still getting ready to get underway and looking forward to it. We've been sitting too long in one spot and things have just about come to an end here at the Plantation. We still have a few friends left behind but most activities are on hold until next fall. It's time to mosey on down the road for the summer. Thursday, April 8, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Late entry today, I slept in this morning. Well, not exactly slept in; I had another one of those nights where I didn't sleep very much at all. I ended up playing on the 'puter and petting the katts to entertain myself until I could get to sleep, which was around 3:30 this morning. Anyway, I'm up and at 'em now. Yesterday proved to be a very productive day. I got a couple more items scratched off the ol' Ta Do List - cleaned the fantastic fan in the kitchen area (need a ladder for that task) and painted the ceiling in the livingroom area. I had used some Gorilla glue on the slats that cover the space between the ceiling sections. What I didn't know was that as Gorilla glue hardens, it expands. I was able to wipe off the excess as it dried but it stained the ceiling and looked as if water had leaked in. That was a couple of years ago and I'm just now getting around to "fixing" it. I used a white primer and it covered just beautifully - you'd have to look twice to notice it so mission accomplished and two more items off the list. One thing that we learned in our "off the grid" experiment was that the standard issue converter was not getting the batteries fully charged. So it was off to Camping World to purchase a new Intelli-Power 9200 60 amp converter with the Charge Wizard (which is essentially a three stage battery charger). It will charge to 90% on the booster mode and then switch to the normal mode to fully charge the batteries before going into the storage mode to top off and maintain the charge. So, after I installed the new converter, we suspended our "off the grid" experiment to allow the converter to do its thing while we learned how it works. It brought the battery levels up to higher voltage levels than we've ever seen in the past. Generally the batteries would be at 12.8 volts when charged with the old converter. Now, after letting the batteries "cool down" they were reading 13.2 volts. Hopefully this will keep us from going below the 50% level while using the inverter and enable us to recharge the batteries with less generator run time. We'll know for sure next week when we resume our "off the grid" experiment. Being that yesterday was such a nice day we did manage to sit outside and read for awhile as well as take a walk about the park in the evening hours. It was a good day, all in all, and another day in the life. Until next time. . . . Wednesday, April 7, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama "And the beat goes on!" Yep, the great weather continues and we're loving it. It has been so nice outside that our tans are coming back out of hiding. Like I said, this is great. This evening we will complete three days of living off the grid. We are certainly learning a lot about the capabilities of our batteries, converter, generator, and inverter. The batteries are five years old and do not hold their charges as long as they should. Also, the converter (which charges the batteries) has only a single stage charger so it does not charge the batteries as fully as it should. The generator and inverter are working just as we hoped they would and are supplying us with enough power to run the "appliances" that we want to run. Unfortunately there is no money in the budget to replace the batteries or converter at this time so we will just have to learn how to live with the current short falls. It will cost us around $500 to make these upgrades so we'll just have to wait until later this year; unless the extended warranty sees fit to reimburse us for the refrigerator replacement that was done back in December 2008 (they are claiming that they will make payment on April 30th - we'll see). Yesterday I was fortunate enough to have my neighbor, Jerry, come over and teach me how to repack the wheel bearings on the rig. Once we got started I realized that it was exactly the same way that I used to grease wheel bearings on my '57 Chevy (wish I still had that car). It took us about an hour and a half to do all four wheels. We have Zerk fittings on the wheels and I have been greasing the bearings using them but was not sure how well that actually worked. Well, now I know that it has worked quite sufficiently and there was plenty of grease on the bearings. So, in the future, I will only need to do what I had been doing in the past. Also, while we were there, we inspected the brake shoes, springs, and magnets - they were all good. Before lowering each wheel, I crawled under the rig and adjusted the tension on the brake shoes. So, that's the last maintenance item left on the list. Now it's on to washing and waxing the rig and truck; we've had soooo much pine dust that the entire coach needs to be washed again before I can start waxing. I may just wash a section at a time and then wax it before moving on to the next section. Yesterday afternoon we made a bank and grocery run; needed to restock the larder. Judy was real pleased in that we only spent $150 instead of the usual $200+ for two weeks worth of groceries. This is due to her diligence in preplanning our meals and preparing a shopping list. Also, I contributed by not throwing lots of extras into the shopping cart - that's totally unheard of!!!! The rest of the day was spent sitting outside, watching NCIS, and playing on our 'puters. The last couple of evenings I've spent some time chatting with Jim Meacham on the Facebook chat line. I can't wait until we get to meet him and Ellie which looks like possibly this fall when they pass through LA (Lower Alabama). Well, enough said. Time to go outside and enjoy this weather. Tuesday, April 6, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama We've been "off the grid" for 36 hours now and our five year old batteries are holding up pretty well, however, the volts were lower than I would have liked to see them this morning. It takes about an hour and a half to two hours of generator time twice a day to recharge them. In talking with one of our cyber friends, Jim Meacham, he advised shutting down the inverter at night to reduce the draw on the batteries while we are sleeping. That makes sense, however, the draw from the inverter is minimal (10 watts) when the TV's and computers are not in use. We're still going to give it a try though. Yesterday morning Judy went to the hospital for her bi-annual bone density scan while I "stood" to home and did a few chores. The weather has gotten so nice around here that we just had to sit outside and suck up all the sunshine that we could. Alex came out a couple of times but he gets hot if he's in the direct sun light and wants to go back inside to head for cooler places. We even sipped a couple of glasses of wine before coming in for dinner. Then it was back outside until it was time for the basketball game; we were pulling for Butler but it was a good game none the less. Ahhh!! These are the kind of days we've been longing for. Monday, April 5, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama What a great day yesterday was, a nice warm sun shiny day filled with Hope. We began with our coffee and computers before heading out to church. The worship service was wonderful - great music and a great sermon. Then we came home and began getting ready for our Easter meal. Ron and Ruth, Dick and Pat, and Randy and Terry joined us for a pot luck Easter dinner. Judy and I prepared the ham while everyone else brought the "sides". After the feasting, we just sat around and chit chatted for awhile before setting fire to some wood. Then we gathered around the fire for some more chit chatting and tee heeing. As the sun set it started getting chilly so people began wandering off toward home. Judy and I walked up to the fire at Ron and Connie's just to say hi and Happy Easter to the rest of our East Traveler Street friends and neighbors. We ended up staying for an hour or so. After the sun completely sat, the wind died down and it was really nice outside. It is soooo nice to have warm weather back in order to enjoy sitting outside. Last night we went off the grid and began our little experiment of using the inverter, generator, and water tanks (both potable water and holding tanks) for survival. We had used the inverter before but the 12 volt items were still being fed through the converter. This time the batteries are supplying all of the power for both the 12 volt and 120 volt side of the house. So far, so good. Later this morning we will see how long it takes the generator to recharge the batteries. Well, I guess that covers the state of affairs at the Patterson household for this morning. Later people!!! Sunday, April 4, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Happy Resurrection Sunday Everyone! He is Risen!! He is Risen, Indeed!!! Friday was spent running errands and continuing to ready ourselves for getting underway. Saturday was pretty much the same, however, we did take time to stop by for a visit with Norm and Linda. Things are beginning to look pretty good around here and the "Ta Do" List is slowly disappearing into the sunset. Today we will celebrate Easter Sunday by worshiping and then feasting. We are having some of our neighbors over for a pot luck Easter Sunday dinner. Judy and I will prepare the ham while the others will bring the rest of the goodies. The weather promises to be good so we'll be able to eat outside, that will be nice. Tonight we will be going off the grid; that is we'll begin dry camping for several days. We want to know how many days we can live off 120 gallons of potable water and how long it will take to recharge the batteries with the generator. The batteries are five years old so we will, also, determine if they can stand up to a couple of weeks of boondocking. Now you all know what this means!! After a long cold winter we'll probably end up with hot, humid weather as we'll not be able to run the air conditioners while utilizing the inverter or generator (the generator is only a 2000 watt unit). Oh well, it would be a lot more welcomed than all that cold weather we experienced over the last three months. Hope you all have a very Blessed Day!! Friday, April 2, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama We continued working on the ol' "Ta Do" List - where, oh where, do all of these items come from. We still have a dozen, or better, items on the list. It seems as though we cross off one item and two more get added. Fortunately they aren't big things but, things that need to get taken care off none the less. If you think that the fulltime RV lifestyle is nothing but one vacation after another, you have another think coming. Don't you just love that phrase? My mother used to use it - "you have another think coming." It's just great to "have another think coming" because I just thought a thought, but the thought that I thought I thought wasn't the thought that I thought I thought - I think!!! Anyway, I have another think coming; hopefully that think will clear it all up. Anyway, back to the "Ta Do" List. How could our lifestyle possibly generate soooo many items on a "Ta Do" List. We "ain't been doin' nuthin'" for the past two months!! It's kinda like the cost of doing nothing index - you know, the basic cost of living regardless of whether you do anything or not. It's probably God's way of keeping us active; "If you don't have anything to do, I'll give you something to do!!" (another one of mother's old phrases). Okay, enough of that foolishness. Today is Good Friday; the day that Christians around the world reflect on what God has done for us though the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ - our Lord and Savior. Jesus had a choice, He could have walk away from the cross and allowed us to receive the full punishment for our sins. But, He didn't - "Because God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son." Jesus lived in full obedience to His Father's love and willingly sacrificed Himself to take on our punishment so that we could have eternal life with Himself and His Father. That, my friends, is true love; the willingness to die for the unlovely (us). Take some time today to reflect on our Father's love for us and, then, recommit your life to loving God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And with that thought I bid you adieu. Thursday, April 1, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Well, that does it - March, in like a lion and out like a lamb. Along with the disappearance of March comes the warm winds of spring that we have been longing for. The weather continues to improve each day bringing with it lots of budding flowers and the green, green grass of home. It's still a little chilly in the mornings but temps are supposed to get into the upper seventies by this afternoon. YeeeHaaa!! Yesterday I cleaned out the basement by taking everything out and sweeping, vacuuming, and washing the floor. Our basement is so huge that I can sit up inside of it. As a matter of fact, it is soooo large that I haven't showed it to Judy in fear that she would make me stay down there from time to time. After I finished the cleaning I went through every box and took out all of the things that we haven't been using. Also, took the Christmas "stuff" out since we will be back in 'Bama before Christmas. While I was working outside, Judy was inside going through her basket weaving "stuff" doing the same kind of sorting. She has pretty much cleaned out all of the cabinets in the livingroom and some of the bedroom closet. Yesterday afternoon Judy attended her Bible Study Group while I went through the file drawers throwing out all of the old, no longer needed paper. Every little bit helps in lighting the load. So, things are looking pretty good around here, however, there still seems to be more than enough left on the ol' "Ta Do" List. It's just so nice to have warm weather in order to get our outside chores done. A couple more days and we'll have this rig ready to trade in on that new 42' Winnebago Tour that we've been eying - April Fools!!! Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama The weather is finally co-operating and we are beginning to get the outside jobs knocked off the "Ta Do List". There is always more than enough to do in getting ready for traveling in the spring. In three weeks we'll be back on the road again and we're looking forward to it. Even though we live in a home of less than 400 square feet, we still seem to accumulate "stuff". Being that weight is an issue we have to go through all compartments, closets, and cabinets to unload everything that is not being used. Next fall we will need to go through our poor ol' shed and unload "stuff" that we no longer need or want (it is getting overloaded from spring clean outs of the RV). The last two days I worked on maintenance items; I still have the wheels to grease and tires to air up. Judy worked on cleaning out several cabinets. We still want to go through our file drawers as paper in this paperless society still seems to accumulate faster than we can toss it out. Then there's all the "administrative" tasks, doctors appointments, etc., etc. that need to be completed; we've been slowly putting all of that "stuff" behind us as well. All in all we are making good progress and will be ready to roll the wheels when the time comes. Now, what's up with tea kettles? We are getting ready to start a week of dry camping to test our systems and want a tea kettle to heat up water for our instant coffee (and/or tea). Guess what? Walmart doesn't carry them; at least the Walmart in Fairhope. So, on our way home we stopped at Dollar General - they don't carry them either (said they used to). Um mm!!! I guess the microwave is replacing the tea kettle but, that dawg won't hunt for those of us going off the grid. Maybe Target will have one; if not, I'm sure we can find them at a local hardware store or at one of the Tanger Outlet Stores. In any event, it's springtime here in LA and we are enjoying the nice warm weather. Each day the temperatures seem to gain a few degrees with us hitting the mid seventies today - it will be flirting with the 80's by week's end. Now we can get into that!!! And that's it for today. Monday, March 29, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Dang, we got a late start this morning. Don't know why but, we "stood" in bed until almost seven o'clock - I guess we must have been tired. Yesterday was a typical Sunday with worship in the morning and just taking it easy in the afternoon. Taking it easy? That sounds like everyday!!! Anyway, we continued watching the March Madness march on with our team making it to the final four - Michigan State. We started last night with the Ice Cream Social followed by a jam session put on by Rainbow Plantation residents. There are three different jam groups that plays each week. We have an acoustic jam that is made up by guitars, mandolins, etc.. There is, also, a dulcimer group that is primarily made up of both hammer dulcimers and lap dulcimers. The groups really enjoy performing together and the music was good. What more could one ask for? A day of Worship, Basketball, Ice Cream, and Good Music. Yes, life is good indeed here at Rainbow Plantation. Sunday, March 28, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama I began the day yesterday by having breakfast at the clubhouse and then helping out in the kitchen; this was Larry the Cook's last clubhouse meal for this season. Miss Judy didn't go because she is trying to eat more balanced and nutritious meals (that's not easy with me around as you will see next). Later we, along with neighbors Bill and Kathy, drove over to Elberta for the Sausage Festival where we joined up with Norm and Linda and Don and Gloria. Elberta holds two sausage festivals each year - one on the last Saturday of October and the other on the last Saturday of March. They serve locally made sausage (which is more like a brat) in a bun with sour kraut. We each had one and then walked about the grounds looking at all the different vendor booths. Nothing jumped out and said, "Take me home", so we got out of there with our wallet pretty much in tact. But, before we headed home we had to partake in an apple dumpling served with a warm sauce and vanilla ice cream on top. Now, that was yummy and it was so huge that Judy and I had to share one. Yesterday afternoon was filled with a nap, a walk around the Plantation, and March Madness. After West Virginia beat Kentucky (another upset) I watched History Detectives on PBS. Why, oh why, can't they produce more shows like this for Over the Air TV stations? Saturday, March 27, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama We spent the day, Friday, running some errands. crossing a couple of things off the Ta Do List, cleaning house, and preparing the evening meal. Don and Gloria are hitting the road on Monday and we wanted to have them, along with Norm and Linda, over for one last get together/dinner before their departure. We had a great evening together with the women gathering in the dining room and the men gathering in the living room. Can't tell you what the women were chatting about but, us guys let them solve the world problems while we talked about RVs and March Madness with a few other minor topics thrown in here and there. Judy and I had prepared a spaghetti casserole, fruit salad, rolls, and brownies which we enjoyed with wine and soda. With the advent of spring comes the departure of many. Things are about to come to an abrupt end here at Rainbow Plantation by the end of the month. This morning is Larry the Cook's last meal at the clubhouse for this season followed by his and Babbs departure early next week. The good news is that they plan to be back next year. Even though many are "clearing out", we'll still have plenty of playmates left to have more good times with right up until we leave in late April. This is really a great lifestyle; we fellowship through the winter here at Rainbow Plantation and then travel during the spring, summer, and fall. We come back together again at the Plantation for the winter with plenty of new stories to share with the family. Not a bad gig at all!! Our Travelogues have been updated with January 2010 Part II. It covers our Habitat for Humanity build in Bunnell, Florida as well as a return to St. Augustine and our trip back to Rainbow Plantation. I know, I'm falling behind again. Friday, March 26, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama It's always good to see old friends again and that's just what we did yesterday. We drove over to Florida to have lunch with Jim and Sue Brown who we w*rked with during the last two summers at Lake George Escape. However, on the way over we made a pit stop at JoAnn Fabrics so Judy could get some more food for her new sewing machine. The lady who waited on us said she would hurry since Judy had husband in tow. I told her to take her time which surprised her. It seems that when husbands are shopping with their wives at JoAnn's they don't like to hang around very long - who'da thunk? I had to be good; after all, it was Judy's birthday!!! Jim and Sue have a lovely home in a gated community. We visited for almost four hours, talking about old times at LGE as well as our summer plans. Sue had prepared a great chicken casserole along with a garden/fruit salad, thanks Sue. They will be spending the summer at a Yogi Bear Park in Wisconsin where Sue will be renting golf carts and Jim will be w*rking in recreation department at the water park. Sounds like a large campground. We made our trek home and spent the evening watching some more March Madness. Michigan State plays tonight so we'll be following the madness again. Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a great day. Thursday, March 25, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Yesterday morning I finished washing the rig and Judy went to her Bible study group meeting. Later in the afternoon we went to Camping World to pick up a Wingman for the Sensar antenna that's on the RV - it did allow us to pick up some more stations, however, we are still not able to pick up all the stations that we should be receiving. I will need to trouble shoot the coxial cables next, most likely a bad connection somewhere in the system. It could possibly be a problem with the amplifier in the antenna's head but, I'll start testing the cable first. We met up with Randy and Terry and walked over to the community fire pit for the four o'clock social hour. The wood was wet so the fire turned into a smudge pot rather than a camp fire. Oh well, better luck next time. In any event, it stayed relatively warm outside so we had fun sitting around in our lawn chairs socializing. Then it was home for dinner, TV, and computer time before throwing the towel in on another day. Today is Judy's birthday so I dedicate the following song to our relationship; read the words closely, especially the third verse: Side By Side Oh, we ain't got a barrel of money Maybe we're ragged and funny But we'll travel along, singin' a song Side by side Don't know what's comin' tomorrow Maybe it's trouble and sorrow But we'll travel the road, sharin' our load Side by side Through all kinds of weather What if the sky should fall Just as long as we're together It doesn't matter at all When they've all had their quarrels and parted We'll be the same as we started Just travelin' along, singin' our song Side by side See that sun in the mornin' Peekin' over the hill I'll bet you sure, it always has And it always will Well, that's how I feel about someone And somebody feels about me We're sure in love with each other And that's the way it's gonna be Oh, we ain't got a barrel of money Maybe we're ragged and funny But we'll travel along, singin' a song Side by side Happy Birthday Luv, Luv. Hope we have a wonderful day together (and forever and ever)!! Wednesday, March 24, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Yesterday was probably the best day so far this year. It got into the mid 70's and was sunny with little to no wind. We stayed outside for most of the day; today is supposed to be more of the same, keep 'em coming!!! We started the day with our usual coffee and computer time followed by a walk around the Plantation. Then I washed some more of the RV and will finish washing it today; then the waxing will begin - that will take me a few days, for sure. Miss Judy worked on some of her basket weaving projects. Later in the afternoon we both sat outside working on our tans and reading for a while (Alex joined us for a little while until he got hot and didn't want to be held any longer - Katie doesn't like to be held so she doesn't get to go outside). We went to the social time at four o'clock and remained at the clubhouse until the Tuesday evening meal which was an enchilada casserole. Then Judy came home while I stayed to watch this week's movie (Mama Mia). After a little television it was time to call it a day. Not a whole lot going on but a great day none the less. This morning Judy finished the entry about her new toy in her corner, be sure and check it out. Now, we hope that all y'all have a great Rainbow day. Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Maybe, Just Maybe, Maybe this time spring has, in fact, sprung. Today is supposed to get into the 70's and tomorrow is supposed to be "seasonal" temperatures (i.e. mid 70's during the day and high 40's at night). One can only hope that we are seeing the end of this endless winter weather and that Lucy won't pull the football away from Charlie Brown again. Yesterday was a shopping day. We needed to get some grub into the house so that we wouldn't be wasting away with nothing to eat (as if Escapees have a problem foraging for food). Katie and Alex were very happy to see another bag of Blue Buffalo show up; now they can sleep peacefully knowing that their favorite food will show up in the dish in the morning. After getting the "fude" stashed and a little lunch we took a short katt nap. By then it was time for a short walk and social time at the clubhouse. We came home to left-overs (baked spaghetti) for dinner while watching the news - that's a recipe for indigestion!!! As usual, there was nothing worth watching on television so I worked on our next Travelogue. It seems that while we are here at the Plantation I fall waaay behind on updating our Travelogues. It is just about finished, just need to do a little work on the photographs, then I can get it published this week. It covers the last half of January - told you I was behind!!! I have been contemplating moving Wandering America to Blogspot. There would be a lot of advantages, especially when publishing pictures, but, I have a lot of control of the website that I wouldn't have with a blog. One thing that I like with the website is that you can go back through the Travelogue Index Page and select individual Travelogues. This is useful for those who are planning to visit an area and want to see what we did while we were the area. With a blog you have to keep scrolling through all the entries until you find the one you want which is quite cumbersome. The question is, how many people actually go back and look at the past information? I began, but didn't finish, setting up an index by state so our readers could go to the state and find the Travelogues that applies. Again, I'm not sure how many people would actually use this feature. At this point, I welcome all your comments and suggestions. Which would you prefer a blog or a website? Would an index by states be useful to you? Anything else? Email me at Wandering.America@yahoo.com. Thanks and Good Day! Monday, March 22, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Waking up to BRRRRRRR again this morning. They said health care would only pass when Hell freezes over; I can only hope this isn't Hell but the temperatures moved close to freezing last night. This has certainly been a cold winter here in the southland. We've had a few days of reprieve here and there where we could sit outside and enjoy some sun but, not many. According to channel 15's blond weather girl the temps are heading for the 70's tomorrow; one can only hope. Yesterday began with church then we came home and hunkered down inside in an attempt to keep warm. It was a good day to watch the March Madness. Mike and Peggy are beginning their trek home this morning so we had them over for dinner yesterday afternoon. Then we sat around and chatted for awhile before heading over to the clubhouse for the Ice Cream Social. There wasn't a "dang thang" to watch on "telebision" last night so our day came to an early end. Just another slow leisurely day at the Plantation. Now I need to get going and get dressed before eight o'clock so we can go say our "see ya laters" to Mike and Peggy. Hang on Mike and Gerri, they're headed your way, so "Polly put the kettle on"!!! Sunday, March 21, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Oops!! No entry yesterday. What's up with that? Well, let me tell ya, for an unplanned day we got awfully busy. The day started with biscuits and gravy followed by an RV maintenance seminar; that pretty much ate up the morning. While at the clubhouse a lady approached me and asked if I was Darrell (I had forgotten my name tag so I wasn't quite sure). Donna has been a website follower for some time and wanted to say, Hi. She and her husband, Pete, are from South Dakota and are visiting the Plantation for the very first time. Thanks Donna for introducing yourself; hope we meet up again somewhere down the road. Mike, Peggy, Judy and I drove over to Pensacola, Florida to kick the tires on some new motorhomes (We're still awaiting our stimulus check - I understand that it is on it's way just as soon as the Gummint finishes paying all the banker's bonuses first). Anywhoo, Mike and Peggy wanted to check out some Phaeton motorhomes while Judy and I wanted to check out some Heartland fifthwheels. They also had Winnebago Products on the lot and we all wanted to see the new Via which is a 25 foot class A motorhome on a Sprinter frame with a Mercedes diesel engine. It was a well built unit but we all felt it was waaaay over priced at $140k. Tiffin does a great job on the Phaetons and that would be at the top of my list if I were looking for a new motorhome (along with Newmar and Winnebago products). We were looking forward to seeing a 36 footer that was listed in their inventory, however, they sold it two days ago. The salesman says they can't keep them in stock; it's nice to know that things are picking up in the RVing industry. They did have a Winnebago Journey Express available which is a 34 foot diesel pusher with 3 slideouts one of which is a BAS (Big Ass Slide) that goes just about the whole length of the coach. There were only two Big Horn fifthwheels by Heartland on display. Heartland does an excellent job with their fit and finish paying attention to details. If we could have a "do over" that would be our top choice. Their option list includes inverters and one touch leveling systems (just like the big boy motorhomes). It would be a very comfortable coach to say the least. Okay, enough of the sales talk. By the time we got home it was martini time at Mike and Peggy's then off to Big Daddy's so Mikee could get his long awaited plate of shrimp. We were joined by Randy and Terry and Don and Gloria. We were surprised by a huge crowd when we arrived. It was Big Daddy's three year anniversary and they were offering one dollar beers, three dollar Margaritas, three dollar burgers, and free all you could eat crawfish while it lasted (it hadn't lasted until we arrived - oh well, we came for shrimp anyhow). In spite of the crowd we were seated almost immediately and a good time was had by all doing what we do best; eating, chatting, and laughing. Judy and I finished the day off with a little March Madness watching Iowa knock off Kansas (this was an upset) and Kentucky whoop Wake Forest (that is, until CBS decided to swap broadcasts and pick up a couple other teams that I could care less about). At that point I changed channels and watched History Detectives - one of my favorite shows. It wasn't long after that before Mister Sandman visited and Saturday was all gone. Today is the first full day of spring. Hopefully warmer weather will be moving in but, it certainly won't be for a couple more days. Today is supposed to only get up into the fifties while dropping into the high thirties tonight. Mother Nature, what don't you understand about springtime? It time that you and Al Gore get it together!!! Friday, March 19, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Just a short entry today. Judy went to one of her basket weaving sessions in the morning while I went to Social Security to make some changes in my benefits. Mike and Peggy arrived back at the Plantation yesterday afternoon and we visited with them for "Martini Time" before heading over to the clubhouse for Social Time which was followed by the Thursday evening meal. Last night was spent watching March Madness on television before retiring around 10 o'clock. There you have it, another exciting "day in the life." Today we are supposed to finally see some temperatures in the 70's so we have another exciting day planned of lounging in the sun while sipping sweet tea and reading. Man, this fast pace is giving me stress!!! Thursday, March 18, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama So, what does a couple of middle aged Escapees do for their 37th wedding anniversary? Why, go out to eat with friends; what else!!! Judy stated that she would prefer to go out for breakfast rather than dinner since we will be joining Mike and Peggy at Big Daddy's later this week. Being the social type of people we are, we rang up Randy and Terry to see if they wanted to join us. Well, as it turned out, they already had breakfast plans with Dick and Pat but invited us to join in with them. We met the four of them at Paul's Restaurant in Fairhope where we had a great breakfast omelet along with wonderful conversation filled with laughter. Judy went to her women's Bible study group while I stayed home and took a nap with the katts. Earlier we had made plans to go to Summer Scoops with Don and Gloria. They picked us up at three o'clock and we made our way to the big town of Summerdale where we had lupper (combination of lunch and supper). Lupper was a huge peanut butter lover's special sundae - oh, it was so yummy!!! So thar ya go, that's how a couple of middle aged Escapees spend their 37th anniversary. There's no better way to celebrate than spending time with friends. On our way out to breakfast we stopped by Glenn and Sylvia's to say, "See Ya Down The Road" as they were heading out. It has been good getting to know them over this past winter. We are looking forward to seeing them again this summer at the Maine Event. In the meantime, Happy Trails guys. Things are definitely beginning to slow down here at the Plantation, however, the park is pretty much filled with fellow Escapees who are making their way north. They will spend a few days here and at Raccoon Valley in Tennessee on their way north while waiting for the snow to melt and the temperatures to warm up a bit back home. By the end of the month things will be so "vewy, vewy quite" around here that we could hunt "wabbits". Miss Judy has just about finished writing about her new toy (which isn't new anymore). Just as soon as she gives me the "go ahead", I will proof read it for her; then you'll be able to read all about it. I must tell you, it is a neat toy - I almost wish I had one too!! (operative word here is "almost") Wednesday, March 17, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Today is the day to celebrate all things green, that is, St. Patrick's Day - so what? It's, also, my wife's anniversary. Yep, she has been married to the most wonderful man for 37 years now, how lucky is that? What a great life she has had; there's no way she could have done any better. Yes, in deed, she was a very lucky young lady and she knows it. She once stated that being married to me was like being on a vacation; as she phrased it, "Marrying him was the last resort!!!" Can't get any better than that!! Okay, so anybody that knows us knows that actually I'm the lucky one. For me to find someone who puts up with my antics for all these years is worth more than all the "gold in them thar hills". We've had a wonderful adventure together raising four great kids and living in several different states. We now have three more great kids (called in-laws) that have joined our family. On top of all of that we have 5 (almost 6) wonderful little munchkins (called grand children). Yep, it has be a great ride and I have been privileged to enjoy it with my best friend at my side. Happy Anniversary dear, I love you and look forward to spending the next 37 years with you. So, just what does fulltime RVers do on their anniversary? Well, go to Big Daddy's for shrimp, what else. Actually, I'm just kidding, we'll save that for when Mike and Peggy arrive. Believe it or not, we don't have a darned thing planned. We may go out to eat or we may just spend the whole day sitting and gazing into each other's eyes or we may just go for a long walk in the woods while holding honds. Just as soon as I publish this journal entry we'll talk about we want to do. You'll have to tune it tomorrow to see what we decided to do. Yesterday I managed to finish and install the counter extension as well as make a trim piece for the bottom of the cabinet; it looked unfinished the way the manufacturer left it and it has "bugged" me for quite awhile. Just a couple more modifications and I will be satisfied. Now, onto the computer desk project. Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Well, sad news just rolled in!!! Big Daddy's ran out of shrimp yesterday. How could that happen? No one seems to know for sure but shrimp are finicky little things, you know. What makes it even more sadder is that Mikee is on his way back just to get another plate of Big Daddy's shrimp. Sorry Mikee, I've been told the kattfish is good. I posted late yesterday because when I went to "publish" I got a message stating, "530 login authentication failed". This has happened before so I figured that the host was temporarily out of service but, after waiting and attempting to "publish" several more times I decided that I had better check out all of my settings. I spent an hour or better fussing with the computer then decided to use Judy's computer to publish but, I got the same message. Then we received an email from Blue Host (our hosting service) saying that they were implementing a new security program and had issued us a temporary password. Once I got the new password updated everything was back to normal. A little advanced notice would have been nice and would have saved me a couple of hours of fighting with the computer. I sure hope the computer doesn't know about the lawyer in New York that the squirrels were using against me for false accusations (go to October 31 journal entry). I started applying the polyurethane on the counter extension - it sho' 'nuff gonna be purdy!!! It will take another day or two of sanding and finishing before it will be ready; hopefully it will be ready for me to install on Thursday morning. I, also, have a piece of oak trim that I am going to use along the bottom end of the kitchen cabinet - it looks unfinished the way it is right now. That will be all I'll do on the kitchen cabinet this year; however, I do need rebuild the cabinet under the desk before we leave (the next project). Bill Joyce dropped in for a nice little visit yesterday morning while Diane was doing her WII exercises. We had a good time chit chatting about various subjects surrounding the fulltiming lifestyle. It was nice to get to know him a little better. Yesterday afternoon Judy and I walked over to Glenn and Sylvia's for a short visit; then the four of us attended the four o'clock social time before heading out to Mellow Mushroom for a slice or two of pizza. We had and enjoyable evening with them; they are leaning toward rendezvousing with us at the Maine Event in late July. Okay, so I lied!!! Big Daddy's isn't out of shrimp, just rattling Mikee's cage a little. He and Peggy are on their way back and Mikee loves Big Daddy's shrimp - he just can't get enough. Not to worry, Mikee, BD will have your shrimp ready for you by the time you get back to Rainbow Plantation. Monday, March 15, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama "Beware of the ides of March!!!" Yep, today is the ides of March. The ancient Roman calendar designated the 15th of each month as the ides of that month. Ides from the Latin meaning the division of a month. The quote comes from a soothsayer who warned Julius Caesar (known for the Caesar salad fame - smirk) to "beware of the ides of March." It was on that day the Julius Caesar had summoned his Senate to meet in the Theatre of Pompey feeling confident that no harm would come to him since the members were loyal to him. Caesar was to find out that he did in fact have enemies among the Senate as upon his arrival several members of the group fell upon him and stabbed him to death. Shakespeare included the quote in his play which made it famous along with the phrase "Et tu Brute?" So, there you have it; now you know about the ides of March . Probably more than you wanted to know!! Saturday morning we went for a walk around the park. While we were out we met Odel and Laurie, friends of Doug and JoAnn's. What a great couple, just some more friends to add to our never ending list; ya gotta love it. Once we returned home, I began sanding the counter extension; it's about time since we have been carrying it around for two years now. We have decided not to rebuilt the kitchen cabinet this year but do want to install the counter extension so today I will begin coating it with polyurethane - it will need about six coats. We'll have it installed by the end of the week. After lunch, we stopped by to say "See Ya Down The Road" to Ray and Pat as they were pulling out Sunday morning; then came home for the rest of the day. I wasn't feeling very good due to a sinus thang. I'm not sure what it is all about but, I have lost my sense of smell and have been having spells of dizziness. I took some Mucinex after dinner and things began to clear up a little before going to bed. Sunday I woke feeling great; in fact, I felt better than I have in a long time. The dizziness was gone, however, I still can't smell a thing. I will continue taking Mucinex for a few more days to see if things will improve. I just hate being sick; Judy says I get whiny - can't imagine why she would say that. We went to church and then came home to get things ready to go to the annual Gulf Posse corn beef dinner and pot luck at the Senior Center in Gulf Shores. Judy and I "snuck" out right after the dinner not staying for the meeting; it was just way too nice of a day to stay inside. On our way home we stopped by Home Depot to pick up some polyurethane for the counter extension. After a late afternoon walk about the park we stopped by Randy and Terry's for a short visit and then it was time for the Sunday evening Ice Cream Social. We sat with Bill Joyce and Diane Melde listening to them share some of their travels in Alaska. It was extremely noisy (loud) in the clubhouse last night which made it very difficult to hear all they were saying - we actually had to yell in order to communicate. Hopefully we can get together with them before they leave for the "Rest of the Story". They travel with Evita the katt so you just know that they have to be great people. Well, continuing the words of Paul Harvey, "Good Day!!" Saturday, March 13, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Hunting Trip Part II - The blouse has been bagged!!! It didn't look good, the first several stops hadn't produced any sightings but, finally, just as we pushed through the underbrush at Dress Barn there it appeared. It didn't look like a keeper at first but after a few fittings it ended up tied to the fender of our truck. Another successful day of hunting. Now I am informed that we need shoes; that should be a piece of cake just as soon as I sharpen up a few more arrows in my quiver. After returning home from our early morning hunting expedition we had a little lunch and then did a some reading. I cooked up a pot of baked beans for the Friday Evening Back Yard Pot Luck organized by Pat and Dick held behind Randy and Terry's rig. It was another one of those Rainbow Plantation Conversational Interludes with a Feeding Frenzy (known as a Chat and Chew). We "et" wonderful BBQ'd pork sandwiches, baked beans, coleslaw, mac and cheese, fruit salad, and potato chips with Hersey Kisses for desert. It was another one of those Weight Watches special dinners, for sure. The guests list included Pat and Dick (thanks Pat for the wonderful BBQ that Dick spent hours watching you prepare), Randy and Terry, Ron and Ruth, Clyde and Sarita, and Judy and I. We sat in a circle in Ron and Ruth's multi-colored chairs (nobody took pictures - shame on us) while we ate, chatted, and laughed our way through the evening. It still gets rather chilly in the evenings so we all scurried inside our rigs by six o'clock but, it was another fine ending to another fine day here at the Plantation. The sun is rising and the birds are singing as I write this. It looks like another great day in the making. What to do? What to do? I need to finish washing and waxing the rig but, it would be a great day for an outing. Somewhere within the next hour we will need to decide what it is that we want to do. The ol' Ta Do List is continuing to grow while we keep spending time playing with our playmates. One of these days we need to check a few items off that list - the question is, "Is today going to be that day?" Friday, March 12, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Yesterday was a hunting day; we went on a hunting trip into the back woods of the Eastern Shores Mall. We were hunting for the big one; a dress for Miss Judy to wear to Mary and Joel's upcoming wedding. She took the master hunter with her this time (me) and I bagged her a dress (actually a skirt with a nice jacket top) within twenty minutes of hitting the jungle floor (yes, I consider department stores as jungles). Actually, she found one and I found two. After trying them on she selected my favorite one; I really thought she would turn her nose up at it when I pulled it off the rack - but she surprised me. With that mission almost behind us (we still need to find a blouse to go with the outfit so if it is hot she can take the jacket off) we headed for Men's Warehouse for my attire - a tux. Now that's a done deal as well. We were able to make the kill, tag it, and bag it all in a little over an hour. I just love it when a plan comes together. With that mission behind us we came home for a little relaxation. Later we went over to meet our new neighbors, Al and Sally, who just arrived here on East Traveler Street. Al retired after 25 years in the military and then he pastored Southern Baptist churches for another twenty years. They have been fulltime RVers for several years and now have one of the leased ERPU lots here at Rainbow Plantation. Nice folks, we hope to get to know them better as time goes on. After visiting with them we went to the four o'clock social where we remained until the Thursday evening meal at the clubhouse. Judy and I volunteered to help in the kitchen serving the meal; it was another great meal put together by Larry the Cook. Larry will only be here until the end of the month then he and Babbs will head off to Bushnell where they will be the park managers for a couple of months. Finally it was home and a little television before hitting the hay and bringing another "day in the life" to an end. What does today have in store for it? Darned if I know, we'll have to make up the rules as the day progresses. Tune in tomorrow to see what mischief we found to get into!!!! Thursday, March 11, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Yesterday was one of the best rainy days that we have ever seen. According to the blond weather girl it was supposed to rain all day, however, the sun came out and the temperatures rose and it stayed thatta way all day without a drop of rain falling from the sky. It was one of the best days we've seen in a long, long time. It did rain last night and is clearing this morning; the weather for the next several days looks great, finally!!! Keep it coming!!! Judy had her Bible study group yesterday afternoon while I stayed home and started preparing dinner. We had invited Ray and Pat over for dinner and an evening of cards so we decided to serve pesto chicken, broccoli, and seasoned baked potatoes with wine followed by tin roof ice cream with Oreo cookie sticks. Was it yummy or was it yummy?? It was a great evening and the gals won three out of five games of Euchre - it just wasn't in the cards for the guys. We will miss Ray and Pat after they take off on Sunday (we'll be spending about a month with them at their home in Michigan this coming fall as they have an RV hookup in their yard). March is the month that things begin winding down at Rainbow Plantation. Mike and Gerri left then Mike and Peggy departed now Ray and Pat leave on Sunday and Glen and Sylvia will head out on Tuesday with Don and Gloria taking off by the end of the month. However, the socializing will continue as we have Randy and Terry, Norm and Linda, Ron and Ruth, as well as our neighbors on East Traveler Street. With the weather warming up we'll be ready to start sitting around the campfire chatting, laughing and sipping wine. There are still some day trips that we would like to take around the area so we'll manage to keep ourselves busy, however, with all this departure going on around us the hitch itch is beginning to flare up just a little. Here's my recipe for pesto chicken. Slow cook one chicken breast per person in Zesty Italian Salad Dressing in either a covered frying pan on low heat or in a Crockpot (best). Once the chicken is nice and tender sprinkle each breast (top and bottom) with Italian seasoning, place in a covered frying pan with just enough Extra Vigin Olive Oil to keep them from sticking, spoon some pesto sauce on top of each breast, let them simmer on low heat until the sauce is warm. Then add the shredded cheese, I use an Italian five cheese mix. For the seasoned baked potatoes; quarter the potatoes, place them in a baking dish and brush on EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), sprinkle on some Montreal Chicken seasoning, and bake at 350 to 400 degrees until done. For the broccoli (or any veggies) we use frozen and steam them rather than boiling them which keeps in the nutrients and flavor. Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama I awoke at 2:09 AM Tuesday morning and couldn't get myself back to sleep. I came out into the living room and crawled into my recliner which often puts me right back to sleep but, this time it didn't work. So, I turned on the 'puter and surfed the World Wide Web for awhile mainly reading various blogs. After about an hour of that I went back to bed with still no luck. I got up, got dressed, and went for a walk - it was a little after four in the morning. The temperature was cool but mild and the fresh air felt good. I have always enjoyed walking at night; just not that late at night. It's amazing how many people are actually up at that hour of the morning. I saw several RVs with the lights burning and the television flickering. When I returned home from my little jaunt around the park, my bride was up and wondering how far off the deep end I had gone. I had tried to be quiet but no matter how quiet I am nor how deep of sleep she is in, if the door opens she hears it. No bugler could enter our house without her hearing them. So I put my jammies back on, covered up in my recliner, and dozed for a little while. A little while, that is, until Katie decided to chase Alex with him doing a flying run maneuver right across the top of me. That startled me awake and I was up for the rest of the early morning. After Judy went off to her basket weaving endeavor I managed to sleep a little more as well as do some housework. Judy came home for a couple of hours before heading out for another basket weaving session in the afternoon. I never got out of my PJ's until around 1:30 yesterday afternoon. We attended the 4:00 Social Hour and then came home for dinner and to watch the news. Then I went back to the clubhouse for movie night; last night they were showing National Treasure (a great movie with Nicolas Cage). When I returned home around 9 o'clock, my bride had counted all the sheep and tucked them snuggly into their beds so I decided to watch a little television. I turned on the television in the bedroom and crawled into beddie bye where I promptly fell off into Never, Never Land. I woke up just as Jay Leno was playing with some wild pussy katts (a tiger, a leopard, and a cougar), after which, I turned the television off and returned to sleep until Mr. Alex decided it was time for dad to be up at 6:15 this morning. Not an especially exciting day but a great way to spend a rainy day none the less. The rain is suppose to continue through out the day with some heavy "stuff" rolling in tonight. However, at ten minutes to eight, the skies are clear and the sun is shining. The temperatures are slowly climbing but not yet back to average temps for this time of year. Hopefully, as this storm passes, spring will begin rolling in here in Lower Alabama. Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Yesterday morning was spent cleaning the house and doing some reading. Our church is starting a series of sermons around Mark Batterson's book entitled "Primal" which is based on the "Great Commandment". "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30 The book is divided into five sections; first an introduction followed by sections outlining what it means to Love God with your heart, with your soul, with your mind, and with your strength. It is a very well written book that will certainly go a long way toward bringing us back to the basics of living a Christian life. If you remember right, we made a lot of new friends on the RV Care-A-Vanner build that we did in Bunnell. Well, yesterday Gord and Helen Grant from Ontario stopped by for a visit. We burnt some burgers on the grill and served them up with some potato salad and carrots along with chocolate pudding for dessert. We ate outside on the picnic table and sat out in our lawn chairs to visit and enjoy the warmer weather. It was fun to spend some time with them again and we especially enjoyed staying home to cook and eat with friends. This is more like what this "camping" lifestyle is all about. Being that the floors in the clubhouse were being redone, the four o'clock social was held outside around a huge fire. There were hot dawgs, beans, chili, and s'mores galore but, we didn't attend. We were full from our afternoon meal and it was starting to get chilly outside. Remember, we're wimps and we don't do cold (or even chilly). That's what they made inside for!!!! So we relocated our posteriors from the lawn chairs outside to the recliners inside and settled in for the evening where we chit chatted, played on our 'puters, and gawked a little at the television before retiring for the evening. I must say, I'm liking the slowed down pace - we've been on the go so much over the last month that it is nice to just take it slow and easy. That's it for another day in the life of the Wandering America vagabonds who aren't doing a lot of wandering at the moment. Be sure to take some time to relax and hug your katt, see ya tomorrow. Monday, March 8, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Besides attending church yesterday, and hearing an excellent sermon, we took Ron and Ruth to dinner at California Dreaming as a "thank you" for letting us use their car while our truck was being repaired. They introduced us to the California Dreaming Salad Entree' with the House Dressing. Whatta a yummy salad; we could only eat half of it and brought home a "dawggie box" for another meal. Along with the salad, I had a bowl of She Crab Chowder; it was good but I can make a more tasty chowdah, hands down!!! While we were there we bumped into fellow Plantation residents Jerry and Linda Christie. That's not unusual as Escapees love to eat out. The kitties are running out of food so we stopped by PetSmart to pick up some more. Alex and Katie eat only "premium" katt food (we've been getting Wellness Brand) which is very expensive. PetSmart doesn't carry Wellness Brand katt food so we got a bag of Nutro (which is what we used to feed them), however, as soon as they got done eating some both Katie and Alex got sick. I didn't do a good enough job reading the ingredients; Nutro includes wheat gluten in their formula which is nothing more than a filler. Our katts appear to be allergic to it so it will be back to PetSmart to return the Nutro and get a bag of Blue Buffalo katt food which contains no by-products or wheat and/or corn fillers. If our babies like Blue Buffalo it will be a good thing 'cause it is 50 cents per pound less expensive than the Wellness Brand and just as healthy. Last night was the Ice Cream Social at the clubhouse where we finished getting our daily dose of socialization before returning to home to watch some of the Oscar's which neither of us could really care less about but, there was nothing else on television worth watching (what's new). It wasn't long before we were watching the insides of our eye lids. So, thar ya have it, another day in the life of fun, food, and fellowship. Sunday, March 7, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama It's Sunday which means we're getting ready to go to church to worship. Not sure what the rest of the day will bring, we have no real plans. Yesterday was nice and we spent a lot of time outside. We took a stroll around the park, sat out in the back yard for a little while, and sat around a fire with our neighbors before coming inside to a nice BBQ'd pork dinner. I had cooked the pork in the crock pot which made it nice and tender. We had some fried potatoes seasoned with Montreal Chicken spices and a garden salad to go with the BBQ'd pork. Can you believe it? We ate at home by ourselves!! There's a novel idea for you. After dinner we just vegged out and watched some TV while playing on our 'puters. NCIS is my favorite television show and they replayed Tuesday's episode which we hadn't seen. At around 8:30 we moved to the bedroom where I continued to watch TV while Judy entered into Never, Never Land. Not a whole lot but, a nice relaxing day. The RV didn't get washed, however. Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow? Hope all y'all have a very nice day, we're "fixinto"!!! Saturday, March 6, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Alrighty then! The bath water tank dump valve has been replaced. It only took about an hour and a half with the biggest part of the job being the removal and reinstallation of the underbelly panels. One more job from the "job jar" behind me. Looks like another decent day so today I'll finish washing the rig then I can start the hand waxing next week. After that I will have a list of maintenance items to take care of as well as the cabinet projects to get started on. Yesterday morning, real early in the morning, we went over the say our "see ya laters" to Mike and Peggy. That meant that I had to put real clothes on much earlier than normal - I only do that for special people; otherwise, I just wave out the window as they pull out. Then we stopped by for a photo-op with Fillmore the wonder dawg; oh yes, we did say our farewells to Doug and JoAnn as well. After that we did a walk about the park for some exercise - what a good little boy am I!!!! We came home and Judy played with her new toy (which she hasn't written about yet) while I changed out the dump valve. We didn't even get in the truck all day, which, by the way, is running like a kitten, and that seemed nice after Thursday's marathon driving event. A nap found its way onto the schedule as did sitting out in our lawn chairs. We joined in with the neighbors around a "non-fire" social gathering; we've not done that for ages - it's just been too danged cold for us wimps. Last evening Doug and Ann Craw had invited us over for dinner - yep, not a day goes by without fun, food, and fellowship. Ann prepared a wonderful fish dinner with peas and a garden salad. There was cheese cake and coffee for dessert. We had a wonderful evening with them at their home sitting around the fireplace sipping wine and chatting. They fulltimed for many years so they had lots of stories to share with us; just another great couple in this extended family of ours. Well, Th-th, Th-th, Th-that's all folks!! See ya tomorrow!! Friday, March 5, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Our darned water hose was frozen again this morning; enough is enough already, it's March for goodness sake!!! The weather dudes keep saying we are going to see 70 degree temperatures but, every day it moves to the right another day. At this rate, by the time that 70* weather reaches us it will be July 4th. Al Gore had better not show his face or else he'll probably get stoned for being a heretic. Dang, I wish the warm weather would arrive. Let's see, yesterday I managed to spend almost 4 hours on the road. I had to go see the vampire at 8:30 and then go see the Saw Bones at 12:30 which meant two trips to the VA Clinic in Pensacola. Good news is that my blood work came back good; blood pressure was 125/81, glucose was 101, and cholesterol was 162 so I'm good to go for another year. Let me say this about that, if "Gummint" run health care was as good as the care I'm getting from the VA Clinic at Pensacola, Florida I would be all for it. Keep in mind that I have only utilized the VA Clinics for a year; the one in Pensacola and the one in Glenn Falls, New York but, both have been outstanding and I have received excellent care. Yesterday Fred Merrill, a retired photographer and fellow resident here at Rainbow Plantation, and Norm Payne, a retired fulltimer and fellow resident here at Rainbow Plantation, put on a photography class. Fred taught basic photography techniques while Norm covered the digital photography aspect. It was around a two hour presentation with about 40 people in attendance. I was only able to attend an hour due to my medical appointments but, from what I could tell, it was an excellent class. Sorry I couldn't have been present for the entire presentation. Today is a sad day, we are losing some more playmates. Mike and Peggy are leaving this morning heading to Betty's RV Park in Abbeville, Louisiana. Fellow East Traveler Street residents, J and Heidi and Larry and Cindy headed that way yesterday. Hopefully Mike and Peggy will meet up with them and have a wonderful experience at Betty's. In the mean time, we hate to see them leave; we've had a great month enjoying their company. Last night Peggy prepared us a great dinner with wild salmon, twice baked potatoes, and a garden salad followed by a dish of butter pecan ice cream. It was a great meal with fun conversation. Happy Trails guys, see ya next summer at the Maine Event. Doug, JoAnn, and Fillmore shove off today as well. It was certainly a busy day yesterday and we didn't get over to see them again. They are really great folks and we hope our trails cross again somewhere down the road. Doug has some upcoming medical appointments and we'll be keeping them in our prayers. Yep, it's gonna get real quiet around here, that's for sure. Just as soon as this dang weather warms up a bit I have a lot of outside work to get done. Before we know it, it will be "On The Road Again"!!! We're looking forward to it. Thursday, March 4, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Yesterday was a nice day but still a little chilly. Today is supposed to be a little warmer yet with that trend continuing through the weekend with 70 degree weather in the forecast - that would certainly be a welcomed change. While Miss Judy was out and about with her Bible Study group, I set out the lawn chairs and took Alex out for about 20 minutes. Around 3:00 Doug and JoAnn stopped by for a short visit and then Mike, Peggy, Judy, and I made our way over to the clubhouse for the Social Hour. Judy did get to work on some of her sewing yesterday morning while I goofed off. I did get in touch with Tallulah Gorge State Park and firm up our volunteer assignment there. We will go there right after Jackie's graduation in May and stay there until July 6th or 7th. Mike and Gerri talked with them as well and are waiting for some pictures of the entrance to determine if they can get their motorhome into the drive. There is a transition from the highway where some motorhomes have dragged the back end of the coach, however, that most likely was gas motorhomes with a long overhang behind the rear wheels. Mike and Gerri's Dutch Star should be able to navigate the transition. Last night it was another trip to Big Daddy's. Mike and Peggy are "fixinto" to haul assets and Mikee was hankering for another plate of Big Daddy's shrimp. So, after a little arm twisting (very little at that), a group of us headed to the west side of the Fish River for another succulent seafood dinner. Now I don't want all you folks out there who are following along to think that all we do is socialize and eat out but, pretty much all we do is socialize and eat out. There were eight in our party; Norm, Linda, Don, Gloria, Mike, Peggy, Judy, and I, however, there were almost two dozen Escapees (counting us) patronizing BD's last night - it's a popular place for us RVers. Judy and I finished the day by going over our 2010 travel plans so we have a general idea where we will be and when. This summer will be punctuated with family events so we will be spending half the summer in the south and the rest in the northeast and mid west. Someday we hope to make a trek westward; we'll just have to see what 2011 brings our way. Wednesday, March 3, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Man!!!! I can't believe this weather. Just when we think spring may have sprung we get another blast of winter weather. Yesterday was just a plain cold raw damp day with heavy winds to blow it right through you. I'm beginning to feel like Charlie Brown does whenever he lets Lucy hold the football for him - maybe this time, just maybe, mother nature won't pull the football (spring weather) away when I'm about to kick it (put on my shorts). One can only hope that we will have a spring this year. We had the opportunity to visit with Doug, JoAnn, and Fillmore yesterday afternoon. Later Doug and JoAnn joined us at the clubhouse for dinner; what a great couple. They really enjoy the fulltime lifestyle and are looking forward to many more years of it. We had a wonderful time getting to know them and now we have two more great friends to add to our never ending list. Doug and JoAnn will be here at Rainbow Plantation a couple more days so we'll have at least one more opportunity to get together; after all, we need to get some pictures of Fillmore the RV-Dreams wonder dawg (and Doug and JoAnn as well). Last night we spent with Ray and Pat having a long over due chat and chew along with a couple games of Euchre; guys won both games. "We are the Champions, We are the Champions, No time for losers, Cause we are the champions - of the world!" We have been wanting to get together since we returned to Rainbow Plantation but Pat has had some real serious back pain. With some meds and a lot of physical therapy she has been able to overcome it. They will be leaving in a week and a half so we need to have another night together before then. We'll be "camping" in their yard in Michigan for about a month right after the Escapade in September. That's it for today - hope the sun shines on you and keep smiling; it makes people wonder what you've been up to!!! Tuesday, March 2, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Today is rainy, wet, and cold - this weather is relentless. However, things will begin to warm up and be more spring like over the next several days. Have broken winter's back yet? Only time will tell but seventy degree temperatures are in the forecast for this coming weekend. Doug, JoAnn, and Fillmore arrived at the Plantation yesterday afternoon and will be here for several days. We missed them when they passed through in January so it will be great to finally meet them (especially Fillmore the wonder dawg). Our friends, Paul and Ruth, have a black standard poodle named Andy; we're curious to know if Andy and Fillmore would like to meet each other. Something tells me that they would both be rather aloof about getting to know one another. Poodles seem to have this sense of superiority when it comes to meeting other dawgs. Yesterday was grocery shopping day - whoopie, we now have some real live food in the house. We've been socializing and eating out so much that we have only needed the bare essentials on board but, things are beginning to slow down now that March is here. Our playmates are starting to slowly exit the Plantation so over the next few weeks our get togethers will become fewer and fewer. I, also, had to go get some propane yesterday - both tanks were empty thanks to all this cold weather we have been having. Last year we only went through two tanks during the months of January and February while we have gone through five tanks this year. Brrrrr!!! While I was out I stopped at Camping World. We needed a new cap to put on the end of the pipe at the dumping station. I, also, found some leveling wedges to use for leveling the coach from side to side as the sissor jack idea didn't work out as I had planned. Now that spring is here and just as soon as this inclement weather moves out, I can start the outside work of preparing the coach for travel. I still have the cabinets to rebuilt so I will have plenty to do over the next few weeks. Yep, it's time to get a wiggle on and get all these projects completed because the next six weeks will go flying by and hitch-itch is beginning to set in. Monday, March 1, 2010 - Rainbow Plantation, Summerdale, Alabama Shees, I stood in bed until 7:00 this morning now I'll be late for the rest of the day. Nothing like starting behind the power curve before you even begin. Oh well, it is what it is!! Yesterday was the typical Sunday, we went to church and then came home to do our routine tasks, etc., etc.. Judy did play with her new toy for a while (she is just like a kid with a new toy - well, she IS a kid with a new toy). "It goes "zzzip" when it moves, "Bopp" when it stops, and "Brrr" when it stands still." I'm still trying to push her into her corner so that she can write and tell you all about her "Marvelous Toy". We did get to sit outside for a little while (took Alex out for a breath of fresh air) and watched the final competition of the Olympics - the hockey game between USA and Canada. Now that the Olympics is over I guess it's back to rape, murder, and unrealistic TV shows. Time to get out the books and read in the evenings. We finished the day by attending the Ice Cream Social where they had some surprise skits and music by the Chanielles. Another fun evening with friends and food. Tim, the manager from Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia, called us with an opening for a Camp Host but, we have already decided to go to Tallulah Gorge State Park. Cloudland Canyon is looking for someone to fill in for a month where as Tallulah Gorge will use us for about seven weeks. We were looking for something that would occupy us from May 10th to July 6th so Tallulah Gorge is our choice - besides we'll only work a couple of days a week (Saturday and Sunday) in the Visitor's Center greeting people and giving interpretive talks which is more to our liking. Supposedly we are going to hear from Skidaway State Park near Savannah as well, that would be a good location to spend a couple of months. We plan on spending at least a couple of months each year volunteering in order to continue traveling the way we want to. This way we won't tie up an entire season in one place, we'll have time to sightsee while we are in the area, and we'll conserve on our "Campground" budget all at the same time. Further, when we sit still like that for a while we don't spend as much money on other things like fuel and eating out plus it minimizes the towing wear and tear on the truck. The game plan is to replace the $4,500 in our emergency fund that we just spent repairing the truck as we know that there will be a time in the future when that money will be needed again. Georgia State Parks looks for a two month commitment, whereas Texas will only let you sign up for a month (they will give you an extension if both parties are agreeable to it after that). The Corp of Engineering parks want for a one, two, or three month commitments. Most volunteer assignments are looking for a two to three days a week which gives you the rest of the week to yourself, however, COE's and other National Parks may want up to four or five days so you have to be sure and ask some questions before signing on. With March now officially in place one can only hope for spring weather to be arriving. The weather forecasts for the next several days are certainly pointing in that direction. If it doesn't stop snowing up north we may have to shovel out our sites when we take Briana "camping" with us this coming August. All this talk about next summer's travels is starting to give me hitch-itch.
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