Mike & Vicki's World

2012-02-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

January has come and gone. It was a month I will never forget. Jan 5th I received the phone call I have been dreading to receive. My mother had passed on to Heaven. She was always a best Mom, friend and fishing partner. I know she is in a better place and at peace with no more pain and suffering. She will be missed by family and many many friends. She was always up for a new adventure Mom and Dad packed up the family in 1954 and moved to the territory of Alaska. She raised us kids properly during hard times and good times. I could go on for a long time on what a great person she was. I would like to thank all my family for there friendship that we have. I would like to thank Mom's church for all there support.

OK, after a trip to Alaska to say goodbye to my mother I am back in Arizona, working part time at the Chevron Station. I enjoy working there as it is just like Family working there. When I was in Alaska they made sure Vicki was OK and kept the propane bottles filled.

Other than working part time I have not done much. There are several things I need to do, and the list keeps growing. Truck needs a bath inside and out, same for the trailer. There is a couple of loose shingles on Cheryl's roof I need to repair. more yard work and on and on.

2011-12-31T17:31:00.000-08:00

Last post of 2011,

Happy New Year Everyone

2011-12-26T10:21:00.001-08:00

364 days to Christmas

2011-12-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

DooDad in all her glory. There are feral cats here in Willcox, Had a bunch in the back yard the other day. DooDad decided she didn't care for them encroaching on her turf, when I opened the door to go out she went flying by me and chased all the cats out of the yard, Yep she was mighty proud of herself.

2011-11-28T12:25:00.001-08:00

November is almost over, time to think of the birth of Jesus, and Yes I still say Christmas.
I am working part time at the Chevron Station again. It has been nice getting out and doing something. the last few days have been testing, broke a tooth, propane regulator died, Had a water line break in the trailer and awoke to a lake outside. Water line fixed, regulator replaced, tooth, now that is another story, will see what we can do with that.
Weather has been fairly nice, some rain off and on for last couple of weeks, several nights of freezing, but nice during the day.
We had a real nice Thanksgiving, Ham and all the goodies to go with it. Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. Untill later God Bless and take care.

2011-11-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

We have been in Willcox now for almost 2 weeks, not sure where the time is going. I still have that sore throat that I left Oregon with so went to the Dr today. Got a shot in the but and 10 days of antibiotics. Hopefully this will cure the whatever it is that I have.
I am not working yet, not sure that I will. If something good comes along I will take it. Otherwise I will act like I am retired or something.
Since we have been here it has rained twice, The back yard needed mowing when we got here, have most of it mowed, If the wind ever dies down for awhile and it warms up some I will finish that task.
Other than this there is not much going on here right now. I will update later just to let you all know I am still kicking.

2011-10-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Arizona City last night about 7:00 PM. Of course I had to hit Phoenix at rush hour traffic ( why do they call it rush hour when all you do is stop & go and just barely move ?) after a couple of hours to get through the concrete jungle we finally arrived at Arizona City. we will be here about a week then off to Willcox, AZ. we will be there for the winter.

2011-10-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

On the road again !!! We left Gold Hill, OR this morning and drove to Standish, Ca. 318 miles. not bad considering we didn't get out of Gold Hill until almost 11:00 AM. Standish is just outside of Susanville and 80 miles north of Reno.
Not sure where we will make it to tomorrow, but hopefully we will be leaving a little earlier than 11:00.2 more nights on the road and we should be in Arizona City. Will update later, ttfn.

2011-10-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

Time for a quick update, It is time for us to head down the road again, We are pulling out on the 18th headed to Arizona. Not going to be in a big hurry to get there. We will stop in Arizona City for about a week to visit our friend Jean. from there we will go to Willcox for the winter. We will be at Vicki's sisters place there. I put in all the hook ups for the RV there several winters back so will have all the conveniences.
We had a nice rainbow the other day so will leave this with a picture of it.

2011-08-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

Went on a day trip today with a couple of the guys in the park. Had a really good breakfast at Heaven on Earth Restaurant. Then some sight seeing.

Below is what is left of an old mining town established in the late 1800's. for more info google Golden, Oregon.

2011-08-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Someone should flog me!!!! I am ashamed to say it has been almost 3 months that I have ignored my blog.
I did make a trip to Alaska, Mom was in the hospital and not well. I am glad she is home now even though I worry about her every day.
Work here in the park has been busy this last month. We have been almost full nightly with a few nights completely full. Weather has been hot, in the upper 80's to low 90's, and these are lower then the normal highs for this time of year.
Vicki got a new set of choppers, they fit real good and look good. She won't let me take a picture so just use your imagination for now, I will try and sneak a pic when I get a chance.
Speaking of pictures, I have been really lax with the use of my camera, so no pics on this post.
We went to the family fun center and played a round of mini gold with Bill and Shirley, I think I got whupped real bad, So will have to try it again and hopefully redeam myself some.
The road around Crater Lake is now open, finally opened late July. This is the latest it has ever opened. There is still a lot of snow up there. We may make a trip up next week and enjoy the scenery again.
It is amazing 3 months and this is all I have for now.
Later you all.

2011-05-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

Not sure where the last month went, but it definately went. good friends from Alaska stopped and visited for a few minutes last Wed, They are on there way to Phoenix area to enjoy there retirement and new home. It was sure good to see you John and Linda, and nice to meet Rodney,

I have been doing real good, my nose is mostly healed and I can breath again. Nice thing to be able to do. Vicki is fixing to get new choppers installed, Her old set of choppers has been bothering her and are wearing out.

We are going to Portland the 14th, will meet Don and caroline there and visit for a while then return back to gold Hill on the 15th. It will be fun visiting and catching up with them.

Here are some pics of where we are and the kids.

2011-04-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

April is here and winter just keeps hanging on, We have a freeze warning for tonight !! Whats up with that. Looks like another week of wet and cool weather. I am sure that soon we will be griping about the heat, as humans we are never happy, always want that greener pasture just over the hill.
My nose is doing good, i still have the splints in them. they are coming out on the 12th, and I am looking forward to getting them out.
I know this is a short update, but when we are stagnant and not doing anything this is what you get. Till next time God Bless and take care.

2011-03-11T18:49:00.000-08:00

Time to catch you all up to date, Vicki returned home from Sequim last night. Sure is good to have her home. Vicki and her sister drove Charlie's car here and Cheryl will drive it on to Arizona. Cheryl spent the night with us then departed for her home in Arizona this morning. They cleaned out Charlie's house and it is now on the market. There is still a ton of paperwork to do. Who knows when the Estate will be settled.

As far as my remodeled snoz it is doing pretty good. I go back to the Dr. again next week and hopefully get the splints out of my nose. I can tell it made a big difference, I can already breath easier. swelling is mostly gone. I will have a scar on my nose from the hospital stay, guess you just call that character. Work in the park has been slow which is alright with me because I have been slow lately with all the medical issues.

That is my short update for now, thanks everyone for your prayers, they were greatly appreciated. You all have a good one till later and God Bless.

2011-02-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

I know you all wanted see my mugshot so here it is.

OK below is a little better picture

I am sure it will look better next week !!!!!

2011-02-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

Long due update, where to start? OK my MRSA, I spent a total of 10 days in the hospital, lost 40 pounds in that short time, I know I needed to lose some weight but that is not a reccomended way. I am doing real good now, it was a couple weeks before I really felt back to normal ( whatever that is).

Next setback, all the swelling in my sinus's along with a busted nose when I was a kid, Jeez that was a couple days ago. Anyway I needed a nose job, I asked if they could make me look like Tom Sellick when he was young, yep that got a laugh. So I was scheduled for surgery again, Now with all this going on Vicki's stepdad passed away. So I put her on a plane to Seattle, she met her sister from Arizona at the airport and they drove over to Sequim. This was last tuesday. Wednesday I went in and had my surgery so here I sit with a remodeled nose full of packing (reads can't breath through my nose). I go in tomorrow to get the packing out and hopefully I can breath like a person is supposed to and my nose will drain like it should.

Weather, oh that is a topic. It has been colder than normal here since we arrived here in southern Oregon. As I am typing this it is snowing out, and supposed to continue all day. I know soon I will be saying turn on the air conditioning, so guess I am hard to please with the weather.

Not sure how long Vicki is going to be in Washington. I am sure she will be there a while taking care of his estate. And to make matters worse one of his sisters is already whining and causing problems.

That is enough for now, you all take care and God bless.

2011-01-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

Time for a quick update, We left Manchester Dec 29th, for Gold Hill, OR. Pulled out about 10:30 with sunshine and clear skies. Forecast for southern OR was for snow and freezing, Good roads and weather to Junction City, there snow hit with a vengeance. Roads to to ICE for 25 miles and Vicki slept through it, “I was smart enough not to wake her” From there roads cleared up until we started hitting all those low passes, we had snow on all of them but they were out in full force with deicer and sand. Stopped at Merlin and fueled up, 18 miles to go and one short hill over grants Pass. Arrived in Gold Hill with a light rain just a little after 6:00. Not a bad travel day of 450 miles in less than 8 hours with 25 miles of travel about 25 mph. Fuel averaged 10.5 mpg.

Went to work in the park the next day. Cleaning restrooms 2 days a week and working in the office 2 days and 1 wild card day to help Ken with projects. Weather was cool with a few freezing nights the 1st couple of weeks, then slowly warming up.

Now for the bad news. Friday the 14th I had sore in my nose and it became infected, Saturday afternoon I asked Vicki to take me to the ER. The right side of my face was swollen bad my right eye was completely swollen shut, So off we went to the ER, they took one look at my face and got me into the ER room right now., that was about 4:00 PM. I was admitted to the hospital and in my room about 11:00 PM, Yesterday I was able to partly open my right eye some. I have been on MEGA doses of Antibiotics since I came in. This infection is so bad I am in Isolation and they suit up with all there gear and gloves to come into my room. What is this horrible Staff infection that can kill you quick if not attended to immediately ? And Oh yes they said if I would have waited another day it would have been touch and go on saving me. So here is the name of the Nasty.

“METHICILLIN-RESISTANCE STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS” (MRSA) pronounced mursa

I would encourage all of you to do a little research on this as it is very prevalent. Side effects, out of control diabetes, and a heart condition called Atrial Fibrilation. Not to mention the just feeling bad bad bad.

OK today is Jan 20th so I have been in here 5 days and sounds like maybe Saturdays I can go homem but the battle is not over I will be on Antibiotics for a couple more weeks, home hospice will come out and admister them. They put in what they call a pipe, It is long term IV basically. So enough of what I am doing right now, this is why a lot of you have not seen me on the Internet the last few days. So for now take care, fod Bless, and later.

2010-12-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

From our house to yours we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas

and a great New Years.

This is our Huge Christmas tree

2010-12-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

Time do do a short catch up. we are still at Manchester state Park. It has been an interesting stay here. Park staff here are really great and fun to work with. Oh the work part. since we had that terrible wind storm the night of the 22nd we have been doing clean up in the park. 16 trees came down and so far we have had to take down one other tree. we finally got a chipper in here so we have been busy feeding the chipper. this is the tree that blocked the day use road.

We had a wonderful thanksgiving with Gene and Cindy. Turkey galore with all the trimmings and even oyster casserole.

We will be here until the end of the month, somewhere after Christmas and no later than new years we will head to southern Oregon. I will be working at the Gold Hill KOA. Our plan is to stay there all next year and into the spring of 2012. Plans have a way of being changed so these plans are set in Jello. Until later you all take care and God Bless.

2010-11-14T08:11:00.000-08:00

we actually had about 6 campers last night, the most since we have been here. We are enjoying our stay here at manchester state park. The day use area is very popular with lots of walking paths and views of seattle accross the bay. I have been using a blower to remove leaves from roads and campsites, tons of leaves here and still more to come down.
we are also close to my brother Gene and have enjoyed visiting with him and his family. Looking forward to thanksgiving with them.
this is a short update but wanted to let you all know we are still alive and kicking.

2010-11-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

I am adding a picture of our campsite here at Manchester State park. Seen 2 deer in the park today. Fun to watch the wildlife.

2010-10-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

Getting close to the end of the month and time to move to a new park. We have now volunteered at 3 Washington State Parks and by far Dosewallips is our favorite. I think one of the reason is the park staff here, they work together as a team and promote the park in a positive manner. We will certainly miss everyone here as we move on to a new adventure. We will be at Manchester State Park Nov & Dec. We will be close to my brother Gene and his family, and will be able to visit some. I will let you all know how Manchester is after we get over there. Until then here is some pictures of staff and fall colors at Dosewallips.

2010-10-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

more for your enjoyment, again not mine. first pic is Mt Rainier, next is Hood Canal

2010-10-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

Again these are not my pictures, but to nice to not share.

2010-10-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

I wish I could take credit for some pictures I am going to put on here, but I can't. a local person here in Brinnon is the person behind the camera. I don't even know his name, but I thank him for sharing. I will post one or two pictures as I can. Hope you enjoy these as much as I have.

2010-10-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Miss Dosewallips, a cantankerous old cow Elk with a reputation for not liking campers made an appearance in the park today, she meandered her way through the park and left without an incident. the herd was across the highway in the day use park.

2010-10-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

thought I would share this picture, for some reason I like it, hope you all enjoy it. This was taken at Fort Flagler State Park.

2010-10-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

A new month and a new adventure, we are back at Dosewallips State Park. We left Fort Flagler at crack of noon today, pulled into Dosewallips just before 1:00 pm. Long trip of 38 miles. It felt almost like coming home when we pulled into the park. We will be here for the month. then onto a new park, Manchester State Park. It is close to Port Orchard and Bremerton, so we will be close to my brother there.
We did enjoy our stay at Fort Flagler, I used up a 5 gal bucket of primer using a 3" brush on some cedar siding. So don't care if I see a paint brush for awhile. Vicki worked in the museum and she enjoyed doing that. We really enjoyed the deer in the park, they were always entertaining to watch. They really liked it when the apples started falling from the trees. We also enjoyed watching all the ship traffic on Admiralty Straight. Just about any type of boat or ship you can imagine sailed up and down the Straight. A real treat was to see a couple of submarines leaving and returning.
I will leave you with a couple of pictures.

Until later God bless you all and take care.

2010-09-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

I know I said a few days, well as usual it is a few more than a few. we are still at
Fort Flagler State Park, it is a very nice park with lots of history. The deer roam the park from dawn till dawn, Ha! you thought I was going to say dusk didn't you. they are very entertaining to watch and we enjoy them a lot. We are not in the campground here and we are still missing the campers. There are lots of volunteers here in the park, There are 3 campground hosts plus 6 or 7 other volunteer couples here. There is also a local group called friends of Fort Flagler that are very involved in the preservation of the Park.
we do like it here but Vicki is working in the museum and has to do several stairs and it is really bothering her legs and knees, so doubt if we will return here unless we are in the campground.
Rick came over one day and visited, we had a great time and enjoyed catching up on whats been going on in our lives. Then a week later Gene and Cindy came up and spent the day with us, again we really enjoyed the visit. We also made plans to have thanksgiving together. so we are looking forward to that event even though it is still a ways off.
We are returning to Dosewallips State park next month and we are looking forward to returning there.
I will leave you with a couple more pics from the park here.

2010-09-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

we left Nolte State Park around 11:30 this morning, arrived at Fort Flagler about 2:00. Have the trailer set up and we are enjoying the view. Had some deer in the field next to trailer. I will do another update in a few days to let you all know what we think of this park. It is a huge park, with 2 campgrounds a museum and many of the old buildings from the Fort Era.

2010-08-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Nolte State Park on a busy day, I have never seen or picked up as much litter and garbage as I have at this park. I have decided that the people that use this park are a bunch of slobs. I spend 3 to 4 hours a day just picking up trash. And these same slobs wonder why parks are being closed.

Needless to say we will not return here, there is no park ranger on site to enforce rules and these people know that and take advantage of it. There are 2 park aides and one volunteer couple here to keep park open 12 to 13 hours every day. The ranger in charge of this park works at another park and is 30 minutes away from here.

2010-08-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

Just so you all don't think that I have completely forgotten about this blog here is a short update. as you know we spent 6 weeks at Dosewallips State Park, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there, the rangers and park aides were great to work with. We liked it so well we are returning there for the month of October. August finds us at Nolte State Park it is a day use park and not a campground. It is a real nice day use park with a setting on Deep Lake. We like it here but we do miss the interaction with the campers.

Before we came here we made a day trip to Port Orchard and Manchester State Park. outside of the park Vicki yelled out "there is a CAMEL" so after checking out the park I went back to see the Camel, sure enough it was a real Camel.

Now that I have seen a camel I will get out of here for now. Next month we will be at Fort Flagler State Park.

2010-06-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

Its only been a month since I have been on here so don't be to hard on me. A lot has happened in the last month. We flew to Alaska for 2 weeks. visited family and friends and had a great time there. Momsy had a heart procedure done while we were there, she is doing good.

We returned to Washington on a Sunday and packed up the trailer and moved to Dosewallips State Park. It is in Hwy 101 just south of the community of Brinnon. It is a very nice park and all the Rangers and staff here are just super people. Our site is super nice with acres of lawn.

We went to Sequim last wednesday and visited with Charlie. He is doing good, has a new puppy named Cassy. We will be here through July and then move to another state park.

Until later god bless you all and take care.

Campsite at Dosewallips State Park

Hood Canal from Park

Heated Platform Tent in Park for rent

2010-05-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

As most of you know we went to a Tim McGraw concert in Seattle last friday night. We had a great time and enjoyed all the bands that played there. Opening band was Love and Theft. Then we were entertained by Lady Antebellum. Great performers . The last to perform was Tim McGraw and his band. We had great seats and was able to see the performers up close. Here is a couple pictures.

Love and Theft

Lady Antebellum

And of course Tim Mcgraw

2010-05-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

OK I know I am slow, We left Polson last friday morning and I jokingly said to Vicki its only 530 miles to Mount Vernon. She really surprised me by saying go for it. With just a couple short breaks on the trip over we arrived here friday evening. Long day of travel but the weather was nice and the trip over was a good one other than fuel prices in Leavenworth. Most expensive fuel on the entire trip from Louisiana. That is what happens when you stop in a tourist trap town for fuel.
We have been enjoying our visit here at my cousins place. Will be here until the 30th when we fly up to Alaska for 2 weeks. Upon returning from there we are off to Dosewallips State park for a volunteer position working in the park.
And of course I had better mention this friday is the Tim Mcgraw concert in Seattle. I will post after the concert. so until then take care all.

2010-05-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

Had great visit with Franny and her boyfriend Toby today. It was wonderful to see you again Franny, You have grown into a beautiful young lady.

2010-05-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

2010-05-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

We left Deer Lodge this morning with just a breeze blowing, About thirty miles and the wind picked up, not as bad as it has been but still a wind. We arrived in Ronan about 12:30 (what planning on my part) so stopped at the pizza cafe for lunch. Still the best pizza we have ever had. After stuffing ourselves we ventured on to Polson Motorcoach and KOA. We will be here through the 13th and leave on the 14th.

View of our campsite

View from our campsite

We have a great view of the lake and the Mission Mountains and we are enjoying it. Until later you all take care and God bless.

2010-05-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

We left Loveland, Co. and went north on I-25, again fighting headwinds, Our next stop for the evening was Buffalo, WY. We stayed at Deer Park Campground. It is a very nice park far enough off the Interstates to be nice and quite. The park was named aptly as we enjoyed the deer wandering through the park. The next morning found us once again fighting some high headwinds, We stopped at Little Big Horn Battlefield and I checked out some of the battlegrounds, This is a very interesting place that is full of history, I could have enjoyed it so much more if the wind and cold weather had been better.
We did run into Darrel and Susie friends of ours from working at Hickory Farms a couple years ago. We had a nice short visit with them before we headed north again. Through Billings, MT and on west on I-90 to Livingston, MT. We met up there with Ray and Janice some more workamping friends, went out to a real nice dinner with them. Woke up yesterday to high wind warnings with gusts up to 65 so decided to stay another day. Ray made a very good dinner for us, which we really enjoyed. This morning We went out for breakfast then said our goodbyes and see you down the roads somewhere. We continued west on I-90 bucking strong headwinds again all day, arrived at Deer Lodge. MT and when we pulled into the KOA campground Cass met us before we could get out of the truck and showed us to our site. This is a very nice small campground right on the Clark Fork River, nice and peaceful here.
We will be off to Polson, MT in the morning for a weeks stay there before we head on to Washington.

2010-04-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

We spent 3 nights in Oakley, KS. at the High Plains campground. It is a very nice well run park. I did check out some local museums and enjoyed them a lot. There is a lot of history in the area, including Fort Wallace. There is nothing left of the fort but there is still the graveyard with some noted graves in it. Many legends of the old west who either stayed or served at Fort Wallace include Wild Bill Hickok, William Comstock and George Armstrong Custer along with his seventh cavalry. If ever in the area the Fort Wallace Museum is a very good stop to visit the past.

The city of oakley has erected a monument to Buffalo Bill, It is hard to miss as it sits alongside the highway on your way through oakley.

We left kansas and drove to Loveland, CO. Where we are still located until in the morning. We have visited with my nieces and nephew that live here, We grilled burgers last night and had a great visit. Loveland has really grown since the last time we were here, but it is still a nice area to visit. Vicki's toe was giving her fits so took her to the foot Dr. nurse said they could cut it off and we could call her Stunpy, but they didn't, gave her a prescription for antibiotics and told her to soak it good in epsom salt water.

We have decided to bypass South Dakota and just head straight up to Montana.

If all goes well tomorrow should find us in Buffalo, WY.

I should mention that we are staying at the Riverview RV park and Campground just west of Loveland. It is a very nice park, we are backed up to the Big Thonpson River.

Until later you all take care and God Bless.

2010-04-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

A very windy travel day, we left Stinnett, TX around 10:00 AM. Wind was blowing out of the Northwest, Oh good the direction we were headed. Wind speeds varied between 25 mph and 55 mph gusts. This was the worst fuel mileage that we have ever gotten towing. Arrived in Oakley, KS about 3:00 PM and checked into the High Plains Campground. This is a very nice park, nice and clean with long pull through sites. We will be here until tuesday morning. The wind is still howling outside and it is cooling off for the evening.

2010-04-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

last night was a very fun and enjoyable night. We went to Amarillo for a Miranda Lambert concert. She puts on a really good show. I can't say the same for the opening group, Canadian Ragweed. I was very dissapointed in there performance. We went to dinner at a very nice Mexican restaurant called the Acapulco, food was good and service was good.

2010-04-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Stinnett, TX last Monday late afternoon. We didn't even have the trailer set up when Donna showed up. We have been busy visiting with Vicki's old school mates. Went over to Rick and Donna's for dinner last night, thanks again for such a great meal.
Tonight we are going to Amarillo for a Miranda Lambert concert, looking forward to some good entertainment. I will let you all know how it was.
We are leaving here Saturday for Oakley, KS, then on to Loveland, CO for a couple of days.
We are staying in the City RV park here in Stinnett. no amenities but the first 3 nights are free, after 3 nights they charge $10.00 per night. Full hook up 30 amp level sites.
Here is some pictures of Rick and Donna's back yard. They have a wonderful pond full of koi and gold fish.
Until later god bless and take care everyone.

2010-04-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

We left Louisiana this morning, drove through lots of rain. Tonight we are in Ardmore, OK. at Ardmore RV park. The park is nothing to special. site is very unlevel and tight to get in and out of.
We will be on the road in the morning for Stinnett, TX., Vicki's childhood stomping grounds.
This is going to be a test to see if Vicki is reading our blog. She does not know it but I have tickets to Miranda Lambert concert in Amarillo on the 22nd. So we will see if she is reading this or not
Once again I would like to thank Cathie and Owen for their ever so kind hospitality the last 14 weeks. We will miss you two, but do plan a return trip just not sure when.
So for today everyone take care and God Bless you all.

2010-04-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

We have been staying at some very dear friends here in Louisiana. I would like to thank Owen and Cathie for their gracious hospitality and making us feel like we are at home here. As most of you know they live on Darbonne Lake, the setting here is real nice. There are lots of birds and wildlife to keep us entertained here, and we have enjoyed watching all the birds and wildlife here. Here is a couple of pics of our friends.

2010-04-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

I received this e-mail from a friend about how to start your day, Yep it worked for me.

HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

1. Open a new file in your computer.

2. Name it 'Barack Obama'.

3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.

4. Empty the Recycle Bin.

5. Your PC will ask you: 'Do you really

want to get rid of 'Barack Obama?

6. Firmly Click 'Yes.'

7. Feel better?

GOOD! -

Tomorrow we'll do Nancy Pelosi!

2010-03-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

Cathie,
I put a picture of us back on here just for you, cause you are special. Hope you enjoy it.

2010-03-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

OK I know I have been real bad in not doing any updates lately. Last week some old workamper friends showed up and visited for a couple of days. Friday I took Ray and Janice, our visitors into Monroe. We spent a couple of hours going through the Aviation Military Museum. They have lots of things to look at and a ton of reading. It is a very nice museum that is full of good information. From there we went to the Coca Cola bottling museum, it was very interesting learning the history of bottling Coca Cola. They had a tour of the house and gardens. Very nice place to visit.

Ray and Janice left Sunday with Memphis as there next stop. There summer destination is Montana. Hope you have a safe trip out west.

Yesterday I went to Ruston and visited the Northern Louisiana Military Museum. This privately owned museum has so much to see it can take a while to check it all out. If ever in Ruston, LA check it out.

Today was a trip to Monroe to Vicki’s foot Dr. He operated on her toe nails last week and this was just a check up. Dr said they were doing good.

OK this is the news to date. We are starting to get a case of hitch itch. Plan on leaving here in about 2 to 3 weeks. Not sure wich route we will take yetm but we do know since buying the new truck our travel funds are not up to an extensive trip back west. We will probably take a fairly direct route, still plan on visiting family in North Dakota and Montana, then on to Washington.

2010-03-04T05:26:00.000-08:00

To all my followers
I have been getting spam in my comments on the blog, I do appreciate all legitimate comments. Comment moderation has been selected and you will have to type in the codes you see to post a comment. I am sorry I have had to enable these obstacles to post a comment, and I know you all will understand why I had to do this. Thanks for everyones support and have a great day.

2010-03-03T18:15:00.000-08:00

Tuesday morning we hit the road with our destination being Marksville, LA, specifically Paragon Casino. We had made arrangements to meet Bruce and Cindy there. They are friends that we met in Montana several years back. We pulled into the Casino and as I pulled up to the front door to drop Vicki off they were walking up the sidewalk. I parked the truck and joined them for our hugs and howdies. As we all were hungry we went straight to the buffet. What a spread, If anyone gets to Marksville this buffet was really really good. We sat down at our table at 2:00 PM and ate and visited until after 7:00 PM. I am not sure where the afternoon went but it sure did fly by. We had a great visit and caught up on what all we had been doing and where we all had been in the last couple of years. We said our See you down the road, then headed for the trailer. We had a good trip home, lots of Deer out so had to be alert for them. Seen one group of Deer that must have numbered in the fifties. Looked like a herd grazing along the road. Arrived home about 10:45 at hit the bed, it had been along day. We hope to see them when they leave New Orleans for the trek to Maine where they plan to summer. Then hopefully they will come to Washington on the way to California for next winter. But that is down the road and another blog entry much later.

2010-03-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

Well here it is March 1st already. Not sure where the time goes but is sure fly's by. I have the truck just about ready to travel. If it wsn't raining out right now I would go take a couple of pictures, I will get some pics when the weather is better. The tool boxes that Owen made for me are mounted on the truck and look really good. I painted them black to match the bed.
Tomorrow we are going to Marksville, LA to meet Bruce and Cindy. They are friends that we met in Montana several years ago. It will be fun to catch up on what they have been doing. I will do another update in a couple of days to let you knnow how our trip went. Until then take care and god Bless.

2010-02-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday we loaded into the truck along with Owen and Cathie and headed East. Our first stop was Vicksburg, MS. (Actually our first stop was at a truck stop for a much needed break) Vicksburg is home to the National Military Park. This is from the NPS website.

“Welcome to the Vicksburg National Military Park
The park commemorates the campaign, siege, and defense of Vicksburg. The city's surrender on July 4, 1863, along with the capture of Port Hudson, LA, on July 8, split the South, giving control of the Mississippi River to the Union. Over 1,340 monuments, a restored Union gunboat, and National Cemetery mark the 16-mile tour road.”

This tour through the park took us 3 hours and that is not seeing everything. If we would have had the time to see it all it would have taken us at least 4 hours. Lots of memorials throughout the tour. After seeing the terrain that the battles took place on I am totally in awe of the men who fought in the civil war here. Anyone going through Vicksburg should take this tour.

From Vicksburg we headed a little further East to Jackson. We had dinner reservations at the Red Lobster for 5:00 PM. Pulled in at 4:55, same time Ray and Janice pulled in. They are friends that we workcamped with in Beaver, UT. They drove up from Hattiesburg to meet us for dinner. We had a great dinner and got caught up on what we all have been doing the last couple of years. After dinner we said our goodbyes to Ray and Janice then we went to the Dixie Rodeo in Jackson. It was a very good Rodeo with lots of action and of course some great entertainment. Tanya Tucker was mid rodeo entertainment, She puts on a real good concert and still has that nice raspy voice. She closed her concert with what else but Delta Dawn. Being 165 miles from home we left the rodeo before it was over and headed home. We arrive home at 1:30 in the morning. It was a long day filled with lots of fun and entertainment.

Until next time God Bless you all.

2010-02-12T07:13:00.000-08:00

I have been reading other RV'ers blogs this morning, There is such a variety and wealth of information and knowledge out there on these blogs. Some are entertaining with a humorous style of writing, some are just a lot of good information on places to go and things to see and do. Of course there is a couple out there that have the potential to be great blogs but they have been mostly ignored and not updated by the blog owner, I have been guilty of this many times. It seems we get to busy doing everyday chores and not doing anything really exciting so the blog just falls to the wayside.
Thanks to all you bloggers that help make my life more interesting with your writings and pictures.
I am also on Facebook where I keep up with a lot of family and friends and also on Twitter. I wish more family and friends would get involved with Twitter. It is a great way to just say what is on your mind or what you are doing with just a few words. I follow some pretty interesting people and Organizations on twitter.
So I guess what I am trying to say in this post is the internet is a wealth of information, and a great way to communicate with family friends and organizations.
Until next time God Bless and take care.

2010-02-03T12:01:00.000-08:00

Her are some pics of the truck with the bed on it, still have to install 5th wheel and get some running boards, mount some tool boxes and etc. but getting it there slowly. So far just running around 16.4 mpg. Nice feature is a 52 gal fuel tank. Will add more pics as progress occurs.

2010-01-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

Ok I said I would try and and get a pic on here of the new truck. It is a dodge 3500 HD cab/chassis. It will have a bed on it next monday, so more pics to come. Trying to find some running boards so Vicki can get in and out, OK me too.

2010-01-24T20:25:00.000-08:00

A very eventful fun filled day. First Sorry Dad my phone died !
We had a big fish fry and a ton of fish was cooked and consumed. Lots of Owens and Cathies kids friends and relatives showed up for the event. We had a really good meal with lots of fun company. Then on to the evening and the Saints and Vikings game, what can I say, Saints in overtime !! Big party in New Orleans tonight.
Weather was really nice today and looks like good weather for couple more days. Lake is still high and muddy. Later all, god bless and take care for now.

2010-01-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

A short update about last night. We had tornado watches and severe thunderstorms, Rained like crazy for a while. Lake was up about a foot this morning and has kept on rising all day. We took a ride today over to Start, LA and then on to Rayville, LA Home stomping grounds for Tim McGraw. Vicki drove down Tim McGraw St. A very short dead end street. The street sign was a good 10 or 12 feet in the air. It was explained to us they did this because the sign kept growing legs and walking off.
OK life is good here, until later.

2010-01-18T06:48:00.000-08:00

Now to catch up on Louisiana. We arrived at Lake DeArbonne last thursday afternoon. Friday was spent visiting Owen and Cathie. We are parked at there place on the lake. The view out our back window is of the lake.
Saturday I went to W Monroe with Owen and Cathie to an AG Expo. I am still not sure what a Boa Constrictor has to do with Agriculture but there it is.

We had a great day, went to lunch at the Peking Restaurant after the Expo and had a really good lunch.

Sunday Owen fried some fish and several friends and relatives came over and we ate and visited and had another fun day. Sun is out today so may try fishing later today.

Until next time God Bless you all, and please pray for our country.

2010-01-18T06:32:00.000-08:00

OK, to digress just temporarily below is pictures In Sulphur Springs of Butch & Betty and there new home. Thanks for your hospitality, we had a great time and really enjoyed our visit there.

2010-01-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Sulphur Springs, TX. yesterday early afternoon. Checked into Shady Lake RV park. This could be a very nice park, they do need some gravel on the roads, no cable and water is mostly chlorine. Needed some grocery's so off we went to wal-mart, got what we needed and called Butch & Betty to let them know we were here. We went over to there house and had a great afternoon and evening visiting. Betty made some chicken enchiladas that were really good.
We will be here until Thursday morning, then off to Louisiana. Owen and Kathy here we come !!!!!

2010-01-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

Left Matagorda, TX this morning. We had a great visit with Bill & Alice I hope we get to see them again soon. Had a good trip to Athens, TX. We are at the Windsor RV Estates Park. It is a very nice park, good water, good cable, good wi-fi.
We will go on up to Sulphur Springs tomorrow. Visit there with Butch and Betty for a couple days then over to Bernice, LA. to visit more friends. I will update as I can as to what we are up to so stay tuned.

2010-01-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Kay

2010-01-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we drove over to Galveston. It is a very unique city. The Sea Wall drive is wonderful. Below is some pictures of the Hurricane damage. Can you imagine someone surviving staying in the 1st picture? Three people rode out the Hurricane in that building and survived. The 2nd picture was a water fountain, and the 3rd was obviously the Flagship Hotel.
We ate lunch at Gaido's Seafood restaurant. Was a very good lunch, but very expensive.
Wind is blowing and it is raining and getting cold out today, so we are hibernating in the trailer.

2010-01-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

An interesting day here in Matagorda (the third oldest town in Texas). They had a cattle drive across the River. It was interesting watching them drive the cows to the river on horseback. then a boat took over and herded them on across the river. There destination was an Island where they will graze the summer and then off to market in the fall.
Here is some pictures of the canpground and a couple of the cattle drive.

Camp site in Matagorda, TX

Blue Heron

Cattle Drive across the Colorado River

2010-01-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Matagorda, TX early yesterday afternoon. Our view out the window is of the Colorado River, just before it goes out to sea in the Gulf of Mexico. Lots of birds here. It is a great nature area.
We have been enjoying visiting with Bill and Alice, friends we met in Florida in 2002. Went out to dinnerlast night to a really good seafood restaurant. We will be here for 2 or 3 more days then move on. I will try and get a couple of pictures here and post later.

2010-01-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

Another event filled day yesterday. Have you ever had the plesure of trying to find a portable welder on New Years Day???? The hitch on the back of the trailer decide to part ways on I-10 just west of San Antonio. After a hundred phone calls I finally located a welder. 45 minutes later he showed up. Took 2 hours to repair the hitch. So after sitting on the side of I-10 for over 4 hours we finally got underway again. Made it to Flatonia, TX. Nothing here !!! We will be off for Matagorda in a few minutes.

2009-12-31T16:22:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICK

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE.

Ok we have internet tonight. We are in Junction, Texas for the night. staying at the KOA, very nice park right on the North Llano River. They have good wi-fi and 52 cable tv channels. To catch up we survived the traffic through El Paso yesterday and made it to Van Horn, TX. Stayed at Eagles nest RV Park. nice park but no wi-fi that worked. Cable tv was 3 channels. And Verizon broadband did not work there.
We are off tomorrow for Matagorda TX. Visit some friends we made in Florida in 2002.

2009-12-29T16:32:00.000-08:00

Weather is supposed to be good for the next several days, I am feeling half way decent, still have a touch of something. If it is nice in the morning we will hook up and head East. Don’t know how far we will get, but we are on no time agenda so will just take it a day at a time.

Our only time agenda right now is we need to be in Washington in June, fly to Alaska for a week or two then back to Washington. Will be at Dosewallips State park on the 1st of July for a month. From there we will be at Flaming Geyser day use area for the month of August, then to Fort Flagler for the month of Sept.

We are looking forward to seeing friends in Texas in a few days, then on to Louisiana for the balance of the winter.

I will update if I can somewhere in Texas. If you are not on Twitter, sign on and follow us there hopefully daily.

2009-12-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

Happy 65th Anniversary MOM & DAD

2009-12-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I decided to get out and do something. I went to Fort Bowie (Boo-ee). The first picture here says it is a leisurely 1 1/2 mile hike to the old Fort. What they forgot to mention was it was all uphill. I finally made it up there and it was worth the hike. Lots of history here. This was Apache country and they did not take kindly to intruders. If any of you get to this area and feel like a little exercise this is a great place to visit. The Fort was established to protect the Apache spring. A reliable source of water for the Butterfield Stagecoach and travelers heading west. This route was chosen because of the water supply in the middle of the desert. If anyone wants more info on this Fort go to, http://www.nps.gov/fobo/index.htm

Until next time God Bless you all.

2009-12-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

While visiting some friends the other day the subject of pets came up. We came to the conclusion that yes they are a pain in the rear at times, BUT they are way to much company and entertainment to not be without one. This is a picture of the ruler of the house, or in our case the 5th wheel trailer. We have 2 cats and both of them are very good travelers.

2009-12-13T07:41:00.000-08:00

This was taken in 2002

2009-12-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

This is a picture from back home. Fireweed, Turnagain Arm, and Sleeping Lady Mountain in the back. Just thought you would all wnjoy it. My dad sent me this the other day.

2009-12-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

We finally made it out of RV City. Furnace works better than when it was new, brakes and wheel bearings done, Should be good to go now. Other than our pocketbooks. Trip to RV City was another $600.00. So we will be waiting until after Christmas before we head East.

Here is a more recent Picture, taken on Flathead Lake, MT

2009-12-10T16:53:00.000-08:00

This will be night #2 that we are spending at RV City. They did get the furnace fixed today. I had them do the wheel bearings, well now there is a story. The hubs were rusted on bad, finally have 2 hubs pulled, brakes are ok. They had to modify a hub puller to get the hubs off.

Hopefully we will be back to Willcox sometime tomorrow. We spent the day visiting Jim & Sharon, a couple we have met through Workamper news forum. Had a great day visiting with them.

Till next time God Bless everyone.

2009-12-08T08:54:00.000-08:00

New Day and new challenges. Weather has been bad, bad, bad. Wind rain and snow just a little higher than us. We have decided to stay holed up for a day or two and hope this storm passes. Then we will take trailer to RV City for furnace repair. This puts a kink in our travel plans, will see what the next several days bring.

2009-12-07T07:41:00.000-08:00

Truck is out of the hospital, new glow plugs on one side. We have an appointment tomorrow morning for the trailer in Huachuca City at RV City for the furnace. Life goes on.
"Life happens. Make the most of each day, even if it’s not at all the day you had planned."
This is a quote I got from High Plains Camping blog. I am trying to make the best of each day.

Just to make someones day here is a pic on Vicki and Myself a few years ago. Yea life is fun.

2009-12-06T07:29:00.000-08:00

We were planning on leaving in the morning to head East. Not gonna happen for a few days, STUFF HAPPENS, truck in the hospital again, furnace in trailer died (always when it gets down to 19 degrees at night) So need to get STUFF fixed before we head out.

2009-11-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We are still in Willcox, AZ. Leaving here about the 6th or7th of Dec. and head East. We are doing good, turkey is in the oven and I am getting hungry..

Below is some more old photos.

2009-11-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Last couple of weeks have been pretty layed back and relaxed. I have worked a few hours at the Chevron station, just to fill in as needed. We had lunch a couple of days ago with 2 others RV'ers from the Sierra Vista area. It was great getting to meet them and we had a very good lunch. Yesterday Vicki and I went to Tucson. Costco, Best Buy and the Park Place Mall. We are getting our prescriptions transfered to Costco. Stopped in Benson for dinner at Rebs cafe. Good dinner!
thats about all for now. I will dredge up another old photo so you all can enjoy it as much as I have. Till next time take care and God Bless you all.

2009-10-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

Dad has sent me several old pictures so above is another oldy but goody.

We have been in Willcox now for over a week. The weather has been real nice, we did get some rain that is much needed in this country. The town hasn't changed much in the last couple of years. A couple of business's out of business and a couple new ones. One of the grocery stores was sold and under new management. Have to say they did clean up the store.

I went to Sierra Vista the other day to purchase a new blower motor for the furnace. Got it installed and appreciated the heat that night, it cooled off to the mid 40's.
Where else can you run the firnace at night and the Air conditioner during the day.

I also purchased a new tool box for the pickup. It is a much larger box than what I had and everything fits in it with no problem. The old box had to be packed just right or things would not fit in it.

Before we leave here in December I need to have a brake job done on the truck. Also need trailer wheel bearings repacked and check the brakes on it.

2009-10-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

Above is a picture Dad e-mailed me, It was taken just a couple of years ago, I am the good looking guy in the middle.
I know, I am bad. Haven’t done an update for awhile. We left Washington almost 2 weeks ago. Destination Willcox, AZ. Well we are almost there. Right now we are in Arizona City, visiting a friend here. We will leave here next Tuesday and travel the last leg to Willcox. We will be there until after thanksgiving.

This was another event filled trip to get here. East side of Snoqualmie pass the carrier for Vicki’s scooter broke. Of course right in the middle of a construction zone with one lane of traffic. Thankfully there was a wide gravel shoulder to get off the highway. Surveyed the damage, gave the carrier a not so nice burial, and a nice guy working the construction there stopped and helped me load the scooter up on the back of the truck, It rode there to Waitsburg WA. Where we stopped to visit friends. Spent 3 nights there and had a great visit. They took us over to Richland and I purchased another carrier for the scooter.

With scooter back on the back of the trailer we were off again. We spent the next night in Mountain Home, ID. At Mountain Home RV Park. Very nice Park, office was friendly and helpful, nice long level pull through concrete sites. Sites had a nice grass area and picnic table. We will stay there again.

Next day was a long day, we drove through absolutely horrible traffic in Salt Lake City and Proveo, UT. I-15 came to a stop and it took almost an hour to go 5 miles. We made it to Beaver where worked last year and spent 2 nights. Got to visit with Leo and Jane (owners of the park) and Leslie, one of the workampers. Sorry we missed Dennis he was off hunting.

From Beaver we made it to Munds Park, AZ. This is just south of Flagstaff, Spent the night and woke up to wind and rain. Rain stayed with us to Camp Verde, then it got nice again. We arrived in Arizona City in early afternoon. Shortly after we left Munds Park the service engine soon light came on. So last Monday the truck went into the hospital again, this time it was the main air sensor that egulates the air going into the engine. Nice cheap fix of only $778.00. OUCH.

Well enough for now, you all take care and God Bless You all.

2009-09-17T17:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday we caught the Edmonds/Kingston Ferry, went to Bremerton and spent the day visiting Gene & Cindy. Had a really nice visit. They took us out to lunch (thanks again) It was a great meal.

Sunday evening we drove up to Sequim and spent the next 2 days visiting Charlie. We had a great visit with him and even went for a ride in his new car. He bought a new Mercury Marquis. Nice car and he is enjoying it.

Tuesday evening we caught the Port Townsend/Keystone Ferry back to Whidbey Island, then back to Mount Vernon. It was a nice short trip with lots of visiting and a very enjoyable time.

Today I did some more waxing on the trailer, have 1/2 of it done, Its a long way around it. This coming Saturday we are going out to Camano Island to Aunt Lelaini's. I am going to help rebuild the compost bin.

Until next time God bless you all, stay safe and enjoy life.

2009-09-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

Just a short update to let you all know what we have been up to. Washed the trailer, it was long past due. I have been waxing it, but it is very slow going. It's a long way around it.

Yesterday Vicki and I went out to Camano Island and visited with Aunt Leilani and stayed for dinner. Don and Bradley also came over for dinner. We had steaks, corn on the cob, jello salad and garlic bread. Very good dinner and a great visit.

Tonight We are going to Denny's for dinner. going to meet A friend I worked with last fall. Should be a fun evening.

Tomorrow we are going over to Bremerton to visit Gene and Cindy. Then up to Sequim for a couple of days to visit Charlie.

Our plans are to leave here around the 25th and start heading to Arizona.

Will do another update before we leave here. You all take care and God Bless.

Brothers Visit

2009-09-02T21:12:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday Rick and I took the ferry across to Port Townsend where we met our other brother Gene. After having lunch we spent the afternoon walking the docks and checking out boats and visiting. This is a rare occasion when we all three are together at the same time. We had a really good day and a great visit.

2009-08-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Way past due an update, lots has happened in the last month.
We did a lot of site seeing in southern Oregon. Glad that we had the opportunity to see this wonderful area of our great country. There is lots to see and do on Southern Oregon.

On one of our days off we drove up to Corvallis to visit some old friends there. Had a great visit and some ok Pizza Hut Pizza. The good company made up for the lack of really good pizza

Our plans were to leave Gold Hill right after Labor Day and head to Arizona. Things change, our replacements showed up 3 weeks early. So we decided to make a trip back up to Washington for a few weeks then head south. We left Gold Hill Monday Aug. 17th. We went as far as Kelso, WA.
When we arrived at the RV Park the truck was leaking fuel bad, Soooo I made an appointment with Stirling GMC in Longview for the next morning.
They found the problem but had no parts, soooo we was set to wait a while to get parts before we could move on. The service manager called the regional manager and had them expedite parts. One part came out of a dealer in Texas and another from Colorado. Both were overnighted to Longview and Stirling had them at 10:00 AM Tuesday morning. They got the truck right in and had it fixed the next morning. I can’t say enough about the good service I received from this dealer.

We liked the RV Park we were staying in so stayed another day after truck was done. Brook Hollow RV Park is a really nice park with concrete pads and a nice grassy area. Far enough away from Interstate that is was nice and quite in the park.

Saturday morning we headed out for Mount Vernon, WA and arrived here about 2:00 PM. Bad traffic through Seattle and Everett. Surprised everyone here by just showing up. We have been having lots of fun visiting with family. We will be here for a couple more weeks then head to Arizona.
Until next time take ya’ll take care.

Crater Lake National Park

2009-07-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

July 9th was an absolutely wonderful day. It is always an adventure when we go exploring country that we have not seen before. My older brother Rick and his better half Teri were here so we used that as a real good opportunity to see something new. In this case it was Crater Lake National Park. We packed up and headed out, The drive to the Park is a nice drive with lots of great scenery. We started around the rim drive asking each other when do we get to see the Lake? Well we soon found out and what a treat it was. I have never seen water so deep blue before. We managed to stop at almost every pullout going around the Lake. The view of the Lake is different at every pullout. Some fantastic vistas that will never be forgotten.
If you have never been to the Park put it on your list of must sees.

This is from the National Parks Website
Crater Lake - Like No Place Else on Earth
Crater Lake has inspired people for hundreds of years. No place else on earth combines a deep, pure lake, so blue in color; sheer surrounding cliffs, almost two thousand feet high; two picturesque islands; and a violent volcanic past. It is a place of immeasurable beauty, and an outstanding outdoor laboratory and classroom.
Crater Lake is located in Southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range, 100 miles (160 km) east of the Pacific Ocean. It lies inside a caldera, or volcanic basin, created when the 12,000 foot (3,660 meter) high Mount Mazama collapsed 7,700 years ago following a large eruption.
Generous amounts of winter snow, averaging 533 inches (1,354 cm) per year, supply the lake with water. There are no inlets or outlets to the lake. Crater Lake, at 1,943 feet (592 meters) deep, is the seventh deepest lake in the world and the deepest in the United States. Evaporation and seepage prevent the lake from becoming any deeper.

Quick Trip

2009-07-05T10:10:00.004-07:00

A friend from Alaska called Vicki last Tuesday. She was in Alturas, CA. and was going to be there for several days. Since I was off work Wednesday and Thursday we decided to go visit her. We packed up the Kitties and headed out. The drive over was very nice, scenic for most of the trip. Stayed at the Essex Motel. It was old but clean. had a comfortable bed.
Donna was staying at her brothers house Bill & Molly, they lived about 10 miles out of town. We went out and visited and had dinner with them. Had a great time. Thanks again Bill and Molly for your hospitality, it was great to meet you.

Just like a lot of small towns Alturas had a museum so had to stop and look. Lots of local history and one of the largest collections of arrowheads I have ever seen. Picture of arrowheads below is just a small sample of what they actually had. Entrance fee was $2.00 and well worth it. If you get through this area stop and enjoy the Museum.

Sunday Drive

2009-06-07T20:11:00.004-07:00

We decided it was such a nice day to go for a drive. Since food appears to be such an important part of our lives we had to include food into the drive. We had been told that a cafe in Union Creek had pie that was really good. This is on Hwy 62 on the way to Crater Lake. So off we ventured towards Union Creek in search of Beckies Restaurant. Union Creek is about 60 miles from Gold Hill. The drive is designated as a Scenic Drive and it is a very scenic drive. We found Beckies Cafe with no problem (couldn't miss it). Had a Hamburger that was very good then I had a piece of Peanut Butter pie and Vicki Indulged in a slice of Cherry pie. The pie was all that the reputation said it was. Stuffed to the gills we headed back towards home.

There are lots of state parks in the area so we stopped at a viewpoint of the upper Rogue River, an area called Natural Bridge.

This was a very interesting area of the river. If in the area it is well worth the short walk to see the river vanish then reappear a short distance downriver.

Since it was getting late we pointed the truck in the direction of Gold Hill and returned home. It was a great day to get out and take a break from the trailer and life in the campground.

Until next time God Bless.

June 2nd

2009-06-02T20:39:00.006-07:00

June 2nd, Memorial weekend is long over, the Park is back to a slower pace, but still busy. We have had thunderstorms the last 3 evenings, last night we almost had a rainbow as you can see in the picture.

Talked to Mom & Dad last night, They are at Aunt Lelaini's for several days, then to Rick and Teri's for a few days, then over to Gene and Cindy's/ After that they will come down to southern Oregon and visit with us and Uncle Glen and Aunt Betty. Looking forward to seeing them.

Received an E-mail from my sister, Her last day of work is Oct 30th, Congratulations on your upcoming retirement.

We have 91 days left here in Oregon, already looking forward to heading south for the winter.

Not much new here now so will sign off for now, god Bless and take care.

2009-05-23T07:50:00.002-07:00

Here It is Memorial weekend. I sincerely hope everyone will take a moment to thank a Veteran this weekend and give thanks to our Armed Services members who have served or are still serving this country.

The Campground is completely full this weekend. People are out enjoying the great weather we are having here.

Since I don't have much for news I will leave you with this:
Stupid questions tourists ask
There's no such thing as a stupid question. Right? Not if you ask the National Park rangers who compiled this list of actual questions asked by park visitors.

At Grand Canyon National Park:
"Was this man-made?"
"Is there an elevator to the bottom?"
"Do you light it up at night?"
"Is the mule train air-conditioned?"
"Where are the faces of the presidents?"

At Alaska's Denali National Park:
"What time do you feed the bears?"
"How often do you mow the tundra?"
"How much does Mount McKinley weigh?"

At Everglades National Park:
"Are the alligators real?"
"Are the baby alligators for sale?"
From RVjokes.com

Enjoy, God Bless, and have a great and safe weekend.

Lifelong friend gone but never forgotten

2009-05-10T14:18:00.003-07:00

Below is an E-mail I received from Pats Husband.

to all who knew her, she will be missed, but never forgotten. Pat was a life force unto herself who helped and loved everyone she met. All of you contributed to our life, for which we were grateful. I know you will feel the sorrow in her passing, as I do. We can only be thankful that she has "gone home" and is no longer suffering. The past couple of years have been "hell on earth" for her and now she is at peace.

Mike Nolan

Patricia A. Nolan, 62, died May 7, 2009, in Anchorage At her request, there will be no service and no flowers. Pat was a true Alaskan. She was born to parents C.J and Leola Fenwick in Anchorage on a cold February in 1947. "Pat was a loving wife, a caring mother and a friend to all," her family recalled. "Like Will Rogers, Pat never met a stranger. She drew people to her like a magnet. She lived every day to its fullest and gave of herself to everyone she met. If a tough decision needed to be made, Pat made it. If a kind word needed to be said, Pat said it. "Pat loved cooking for everyone's enjoyment. Her son Doug remarked one day that, 'She was the ultimate hostess.' The old fire department crews remember her as 'the pie lady.' She loved decorating cakes for all occasions. Her artful eye and imagination allowed her to do many 'one of a kind' creations. She decorated dozens of wedding cakes, each one blessed with her loving touch. "Pat was a consummate fisherman. Family and friends remember her out-fishing everyone. The joy she took in fishing was contagious; all who fished with her shared in that fun. "She closed her life as she lived it by donating her body for scientific research. Her hope is that someone else can benefit from what they might learn from her body." She leaves her husband of 40 years, Mike; son, Douglas and wife Holly of Alexandria, Va.; and daughter, Teresa Bell and husband Shawn of Anchorage; her brothers, Mike of Idaho and John of Anchorage; and sister, Kelly of Portland, Ore. Her family suggests memorial donations in her honor to the Cancer Center at Providence, or to Beans Cafe.
If anyone who like to send a condolence card Chief Nolan's address is- 4810 Malibu Rd. Anch. AK 99517

Time is moving so fast...

2009-04-29T20:22:00.002-07:00

I can't believe that April is almost shot. It seems like just a few days ago that we left Washington and came here to southern Oregon. 20 weeks from now we will be on our way to Arizona. Weather here has been different, we have been into the 90's already,then back into the 50's.

Life at the RV park has been good so far. Work has been easy and I am enjoying not working full time. Ken (the owner) is still remodeling the men's bathroom. We tore out the last toilet and and ripped out the walls for the final phase today. Next is leveling the floor, then new tile, reinstall fixtures and have a grand opening.

Thinking about getting an Oregon fishing license, but wow is it expensive. Going to cost almost a $100.00 by the time I get the license and tags. Soooo I am still thinking about it. Might wait to see if anyone is doing any good before I decide. Salmon are just starting to run so we will see what happens.

Our plans for this winter are still up in the air, but hoping to go to Arizona for a month or so, then on to Texas for a couple of weeks, then on to Louisiana for most of the rest of the winter. From there we are not sure. Of course right now this all depends on how well Charlie is doing. He is doing really good right now and hopefully he will continue to do good.

Since not much else is happening right now this is it for an update. Mom & Dad are still talking about coming out next month. That would be a nice treat. Rick and Teri are talking about coming down for a few days, So maybe we will have some company coming. We want to get up to Crater Lake when the weather gets better. Also want to make a trip over to Klamath Falls for a day just to check out that area.

Till late take care and God Bless.

a day out

2009-04-13T19:41:00.004-07:00

I went out just driving around today. Ended up on old hwy 99 north. Stopped at Savage Rapids Dam. Or I should say what is left of it. It is in the process of being removed. Project supposed to be completed this year. After Reading some of the history of the dam I also had to question why it was ever put in to start with. The answer to that is irrigation only. It produced no Electricity and provided no flood control. I should mention above picture is of the dam the way it used to be, most of the dam is down now and they are in the process of removing what is left.

I also drove through the Rogue River state Park. It is a very nice park, full hook up rv sites are $16.00 per night. a 14 day limit on staying there. Anyone needs a nice park for a few nights it would be a great place.

Later everyone, God Bless and take care.

House of Mystery

2009-03-29T09:55:00.005-07:00

Visited the House of Mystery yesterday. It is a very fascinating place to visit. It is located within a small circle known as the Oregon Vortex. Some sort of magnetic draw there, most animals and birds avoid the circle. If any one wants to observe people grow and shrink ,this is the place see that happen.
check the pictures and see for yourself.

Other than that seems to be the same things going on in our lives. I am working part time. Vicki is enjoying not having to work. Southern Oregon is a very nice place, we have enjoyed it here.

Until next time God Bless and take care.

Short Update

2009-03-15T07:43:00.002-07:00

We have been enjoying southern Oregon. Weather is starting to get nice. grass is growing and flowers are coming up.
We went to Grants Pass friday, shopping and then visited Uncle Glen and Aunt Betty. Had a real nice visit. Uncle Glen had tore out the carpet in the living and dining area and installed hardwood flooring. It really looks good.
Not a lot going on now so will do another updater later. God Bless and take care.

Car Show

2009-02-08T19:46:00.007-08:00

We went to a car show today in Central Point. Lots of nice rides there. I left some drool marks on a couple of them.

weather was nice when we left, went to car show then to Mall. when we came out of the Mall it was pouring down rain.

Work here at the campground has been slow. I think we are going to start remodeling the mens bathroom next week. That should give me something to do for a while.

I wanted to mention the section on the left at the top of the page "Twitter" It is a site where you can sign up and leave a short messsage about what is happening at that time. If you want you can sign up by clicking in the follow me on twitter at the bottom of my twitter posts. then you can follow me and I can follow you. give it a try you might like it.

Better go for now, take care and God Bless all of you.

2009-01-23T20:18:00.005-08:00

We are doing well in Oregon, above is a picture of our campsite. Campground is nice, owners seem real nice.
Last Monday the owners took all of the workampers out to lunch at the Outback steak house. Good food and good company.
Work here is very layed back. I clean bathrooms 3 days a week, I have been sanding and refinishing cabin floors. Just put second coat on 3 of the cabins. Still have one more cabin to sand and 2 front porches to sand.
We went to Grants Pass today. Shopping and checking out the city. After shopping we went over to My Uncle Glens house and surprised them. Had a great visit then went out for Mexican dinner.
That's about it for now, You all take care and we will check in again soon,

Gold Hill, OR

2009-01-06T20:52:00.003-08:00

Happy New Year

Another Year gone!! Not sure just where it went to but it sure did disappear.

My job with Hickory Farms came to an end, it was most definitely an experience. I was fortunate that I had a very good crew working with me.

We pulled up anchor and set sail for southern Oregon. We are parked at Gold Hill/Medford KOA campground. Will be cleaning bathrooms. started working today, I survived my first day. It was a really long day, 2 hours.
The campground is really nice. Looking forward to some warmer weather. The owners seem to be really nice, should be a fun place to work for the summer, and then we will see what happens from there. A lot will depend on how Charlie is doing. When we left Washington he was doing good.

We made a trip into Medford yesterday, found most of the stores we were looking for.
There is a nice Fred Meyer store there, along with all the other usual stores like Safeway, Albertsons, Pet Smart, a big Mall, and the list goes on.

There is several things to do and see in the area, so as time allows I will check some of them out and post the results of my visiting them here.

Until next time God Bless and take care all.

Pic of Store

2008-11-30T10:16:00.009-08:00

OK, I just had to upload at least one photo. This is a picture of the store in the Cascade Mall.