Day after returning home – Ventura, CA
Well, here we are, back in our favorite place in all the world; home. There are a lot of reasons why we love this place, including the wonderful weather, closeness to Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, our beaches and hills, and a lot of other things. But most important is the fact that this is where our friends are. After a long, hard run from Las Vegas, we pulled into the Mall parking lot to unhook the truck, and Geri and I took off for the house. On our way, we saw Barb, with Alice and Cooper, pulling into the parking lot at the schoolyard where we get together every afternoon. She turned me over to Barb for a run with the Aussies; I was really happy to see them all again, and did some crazy dog runs to show how much I had missed them. Don came by the schoolyard field in the coach, and blew the big air horn at us. When Geri got to the house, Debbie and Destinee came right over to welcome her home; they had taped a big welcome home sign on the front door, which will go into our trip scrapbook. When I got to the house with Barb and the Aussies, Don had pulled the rig into the driveway and was starting to unload food. Bill and Nita, our friends next door, were getting ready to leave for their summer home in Maine the next morning, and we were all glad to see them and wish them a safe journey, like we’ve had. We were all pretty tired by then, and Geri and Don had a pizza and went to bed early.
As I promised, I’ve surveyed my fellow travelers as to the high and low points of our nearly three-month excursion. Here’s the results:
Favorite City/Town
Geri- Lexington, VA; lovely town, nice people, many interesting attractions
Don- Lexington, VA; gorgeous college town, loaded with history, lots of interesting places nearby
DeeBee- Lexington, VA; good RV Park with nice walking area, lots of really friendly people
Favorite RV Park
Geri- Two Rivers Landing, Sevierville, TN; beautiful location on river, very peaceful
Don- Two Rivers Landing, Sevierville, TN; gorgeous riverfront site, quiet and serene
DeeBee- Tuck in the Wood, Beaufort, SC; really great areas for walking, woodsy trails and lots of grass
Favorite State
Geri- Tennessee; beautiful and lots of fun
Don- Tennessee; great scenery, good roads, lots to do and see
DeeBee- Tennessee; we all had a great time there
Best Museum or Attraction
Geri- Historical Museum, Tucumcari, NM; two stories and more of wonderful memorabilia
Don- Tie between Mariners’ Museum in Newport News and Parthenon in Nashville, TN
DeeBee- Fountain of Youth, Saint Augustine, FL; I got to go everywhere and meet people!
Best Food
Geri- Big Texan, Amarillo, TX; great filet mignon
Don- Big Texan, Amarillo, TX; great prime rib
DeeBee- Big Texan, Amarillo, TX; great scraps
Funniest Place or Encounter
Geri- Mother-in-Law’s formerly elegant home turned into bawdy pink guest house in Galveston
Don- Guy in Alderson, WV, pulling relatives out of café to tell me what they knew about Muddy Creek settlement
DeeBee- Cavorting with not-so-friendly Emu in Oklahoma
Most Exciting Day
Geri- Watching F-18’s take off over our heads in Virginia Beach
Don- Discovering Yoakum Road and Yoakum Cemetery in Powell Valley, TN
DeeBee- Visiting with all the nice people at Ken and Cathey’s in Vicksburg
Worst Day
Geri- Night without power, heat or lights in Williamsburg
Don- Day of endless rain, Charleston
DeeBee- Days when my tummy was bad
Best Entertainment
Geri- Nashville Tonight, right next door to our RV Park
Don- Nashville Tonight, great performers, wonderful evening
DeeBee- Chasing Great Blue Herons in Florida
Most Spectacular Sight
Geri- Grand Canyon, what can compare?
Don- Saturn rocket at Kennedy Space Center, tie with Grand Canyon
DeeBee- Grand Canyon; beautiful and scary!
Place I most want to go back to
Geri- Lexington, VA; a warm and friendly place
Don- Lexington, VA; a lot more to see and do there
DeeBee- Lexington, VA; I really like it there
Place we didn’t go, but I’d like to
Geri- West Coast of Florida, there’s so much more to see and enjoy
Don- Yokum Vacationland, West Virginia; just like the name, and there’s a lot of scenic attractions
DeeBee- How would I know?
So, that’s the wrap up for this voyage. We experienced a lot of this wonderful country of ours, saw a lot of lovely sights, learned some history, ate some great food, visited with some of our favorite people, and enjoyed the closeness of being together as a family on the road. We love our roaming home, it is a shelter from the storms, a great perch to view the countryside from, and a comfortable ride from place to place. I’m sure that we’ll be doing it again before long, and I promise to do my best to keep you up to date with our wanderings when we do. Till then, this is your dutiful and faithful Golden Retriever, DeeBee, signing off for now. Thanks for your interest, and I’ll be back with you soon.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Day 85 – Las Vegas, NV
This group is really functioning in low gear; it’s almost like we were in a space capsule that’s reentering the atmosphere, and there’s nothing we can do except hope that our insulation holds and it doesn’t get any hotter. There wasn’t much movement today, except for Geri and Don going out for breakfast at one of their favorite restaurants. I haven’t been moving much either, except for morning and evening walks, which are of relatively short duration. We had a really nice visit from Genevieve, Matthew, Brittany and little Matthew, Geri’s great-grandson, this afternoon. Young Matthew was very interested in interacting with me, and proved to be as good a ball retriever as I am, which really isn’t saying much. One thing I could teach him is not to run out into the street, which I never, ever do (unless Debbie the Temptress across the street from us is out). After they left, we just kind of got back into our space capsule and continued reentry through the horrific heat.
Tomorrow is going home day. We hope to get an early start and get home in time to get some unloading done before we crash. We’re all glad to be heading home, even though our travels have been interesting, fun and exciting. We need a rest and a return to a relatively stable routine that doesn’t give us a different view out of our windows every couple of days. I know that we’ll be doing this again before long, and I’ll be looking forward to it; but for now, home looks good.
As we travel to Ventura tomorrow, I’ll be conducting some interviews with my fellow travelers, so that I can report to you some of their thoughts and feelings about our journey. Things like their favorite RV Parks, the best food, the most fun times, the worst day, stuff like that. I’ll compile their answers and give you a report, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. You’ll be getting my observations, also. Friends in Ventura, we are anxious to see you and be with you again, we’ve missed you. Friends and family in other places, many of which we’ve visited, we’ve enjoyed making you part of our trip, and we hope to be seeing you again soon. G’nite!
This group is really functioning in low gear; it’s almost like we were in a space capsule that’s reentering the atmosphere, and there’s nothing we can do except hope that our insulation holds and it doesn’t get any hotter. There wasn’t much movement today, except for Geri and Don going out for breakfast at one of their favorite restaurants. I haven’t been moving much either, except for morning and evening walks, which are of relatively short duration. We had a really nice visit from Genevieve, Matthew, Brittany and little Matthew, Geri’s great-grandson, this afternoon. Young Matthew was very interested in interacting with me, and proved to be as good a ball retriever as I am, which really isn’t saying much. One thing I could teach him is not to run out into the street, which I never, ever do (unless Debbie the Temptress across the street from us is out). After they left, we just kind of got back into our space capsule and continued reentry through the horrific heat.
Tomorrow is going home day. We hope to get an early start and get home in time to get some unloading done before we crash. We’re all glad to be heading home, even though our travels have been interesting, fun and exciting. We need a rest and a return to a relatively stable routine that doesn’t give us a different view out of our windows every couple of days. I know that we’ll be doing this again before long, and I’ll be looking forward to it; but for now, home looks good.
As we travel to Ventura tomorrow, I’ll be conducting some interviews with my fellow travelers, so that I can report to you some of their thoughts and feelings about our journey. Things like their favorite RV Parks, the best food, the most fun times, the worst day, stuff like that. I’ll compile their answers and give you a report, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. You’ll be getting my observations, also. Friends in Ventura, we are anxious to see you and be with you again, we’ve missed you. Friends and family in other places, many of which we’ve visited, we’ve enjoyed making you part of our trip, and we hope to be seeing you again soon. G’nite!
Day 84 – Las Vegas, NV
I have a feeling that we’re in a kind of wind-down mode here; Geri and Don are doing a little clean-up work on the rig, but not with any real fervor about it. We’re mostly just sitting around in the air conditioning, as it’s really hot outside. No one is really pushing to go anywhere or do anything, not even Energizer Bunny Don. He’s making lists of work items for the coach when we get home, but nothing more strenuous than that. We had a nice visit from Granddaughter Genevieve in the afternoon; I was particularly happy to see her, because she’s always so nice to me. They all went out to get something to eat, and I snoozed in the coolness of the coach.
Geri and Don spent a few hours at one of the local casinos in the evening, and came back pleased that they hadn’t lost too much money. We spent a little time sitting out on the patio, enjoying the relative coolness of the air, before we all cashed in and went to bed. Don and I ignored our self-imposed blog deadline, which is why you’re getting this a little late. There’s a possibility that today’s installment might be a bit late, too. We’ll see. Ciao!
I have a feeling that we’re in a kind of wind-down mode here; Geri and Don are doing a little clean-up work on the rig, but not with any real fervor about it. We’re mostly just sitting around in the air conditioning, as it’s really hot outside. No one is really pushing to go anywhere or do anything, not even Energizer Bunny Don. He’s making lists of work items for the coach when we get home, but nothing more strenuous than that. We had a nice visit from Granddaughter Genevieve in the afternoon; I was particularly happy to see her, because she’s always so nice to me. They all went out to get something to eat, and I snoozed in the coolness of the coach.
Geri and Don spent a few hours at one of the local casinos in the evening, and came back pleased that they hadn’t lost too much money. We spent a little time sitting out on the patio, enjoying the relative coolness of the air, before we all cashed in and went to bed. Don and I ignored our self-imposed blog deadline, which is why you’re getting this a little late. There’s a possibility that today’s installment might be a bit late, too. We’ll see. Ciao!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Day 83 – Las Vegas, NV
Don took me back to the softball field this morning, a poor solution to my problem of having enough grassy fields to really enjoy myself in. The grass is third rate, and the size of the field doesn’t lend itself to extensive running. But I guess it’s the best we can do in Williams. Sounds like I’m getting really grumbly again, like I was on the way out east. When we got back to the rig, I looked down at the rocky road that I had to jump down into, and looked pleadingly into Don’s eyes. He saw that I really didn’t want to hurt my tender paws on those sharp rocks, and picked me up out of the truck and set me gently on the ground. I could only look at him adoringly. We then gradually got our act together and prepared to get on the road to Las Vegas. We headed out at about eleven, west on 40 again, and refueled at Kingman. We turned up Highway 93 to Hoover Dam, and went through the security inspection just like we did five years ago, when we were going the other way in the La Palma. Getting over the dam was kind of a pain for Don, as the road was narrow and windy, with lots of slow looky-lou traffic. He was pleased to see that there had been substantial progress made on the construction of the new bridge over the Colorado at Black Canyon, just downstream from the dam. He said that he hoped that he lived long enough to cross it someday.
Don was pleased that the road work around our favorite RV Park had been completed, and we were able to do a normal approach to its entrance. We pulled into Outdoor Resorts, now Signature Resorts, a little after three in the afternoon. We were escorted to a site in the area that we had requested, pulled in and set up camp. Geri got me out of the coach to luxuriate in the wonderful grass that adjoins each site in this park, and I rolled in it with wild abandon. Don cooked some stir-fry pork and veggies, resulting in some nice plates, and Geri took me out for a walk through the neighborhood. We really do love this place, it has every convenience, is so beautifully landscaped, and has lots of really great grass. After our walk, Geri and Don went next door to the pool and spa, where they relaxed and got a good pummeling from the water jets. I think it’s really great that they are ending their journey in this wonderful place that they enjoy so much. The only thing missing today was that we didn’t meet our friend Kahuna, a really nice Goldie who lives right around the corner from where we are. Hope we see him tomorrow. I’ll let you know!
Don took me back to the softball field this morning, a poor solution to my problem of having enough grassy fields to really enjoy myself in. The grass is third rate, and the size of the field doesn’t lend itself to extensive running. But I guess it’s the best we can do in Williams. Sounds like I’m getting really grumbly again, like I was on the way out east. When we got back to the rig, I looked down at the rocky road that I had to jump down into, and looked pleadingly into Don’s eyes. He saw that I really didn’t want to hurt my tender paws on those sharp rocks, and picked me up out of the truck and set me gently on the ground. I could only look at him adoringly. We then gradually got our act together and prepared to get on the road to Las Vegas. We headed out at about eleven, west on 40 again, and refueled at Kingman. We turned up Highway 93 to Hoover Dam, and went through the security inspection just like we did five years ago, when we were going the other way in the La Palma. Getting over the dam was kind of a pain for Don, as the road was narrow and windy, with lots of slow looky-lou traffic. He was pleased to see that there had been substantial progress made on the construction of the new bridge over the Colorado at Black Canyon, just downstream from the dam. He said that he hoped that he lived long enough to cross it someday.
Don was pleased that the road work around our favorite RV Park had been completed, and we were able to do a normal approach to its entrance. We pulled into Outdoor Resorts, now Signature Resorts, a little after three in the afternoon. We were escorted to a site in the area that we had requested, pulled in and set up camp. Geri got me out of the coach to luxuriate in the wonderful grass that adjoins each site in this park, and I rolled in it with wild abandon. Don cooked some stir-fry pork and veggies, resulting in some nice plates, and Geri took me out for a walk through the neighborhood. We really do love this place, it has every convenience, is so beautifully landscaped, and has lots of really great grass. After our walk, Geri and Don went next door to the pool and spa, where they relaxed and got a good pummeling from the water jets. I think it’s really great that they are ending their journey in this wonderful place that they enjoy so much. The only thing missing today was that we didn’t meet our friend Kahuna, a really nice Goldie who lives right around the corner from where we are. Hope we see him tomorrow. I’ll let you know!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Day 82 – Williams, AZ
We tried to get off to an early start this morning, but sometimes everything seems to conspire to chew up the time. Like this morning, Don had promised to find me some grass for my morning exercise, but we had a hard time finding it in Williams. We finally wound up on a softball field, which was pretty small, but I managed to get in some running and rolling. We got on the road about 10, heading north to the Grand Canyon in the truck. It took about an hour to get there, giving me some snooze time in my private compartment. When we finally arrived, we parked and walked over to the Rim Walk. I took one look and stepped back; this was a hole I really didn’t want to fall into. It’s huge! It was really beyond my comprehension. They say there’s a river down there, but I didn’t see it. We walked along the rim for awhile, and met a lot of people who wanted to pet me, which was OK. Some people we met said that they had dogs too, but they had left them at home. It made me glad that Geri and Don think that I’m such a close member of the family that they take me on all their trips, though they don’t always go to places that I approve of. While we were standing there looking at the Canyon, Geri’s phone went off; it was a call from Buddy Waller, our friend that we had met up with in Mobile, Alabama, while he was between trips to Australia. He was just checking up on us to see where we were, and to let us know that he was heading up to Seattle soon.
After Geri gave me my lunch, they went to the Deli in the park to get a sandwich. While they were eating, some Dutch people came by the truck and talked to me, then went over to Geri and Don to talk with them about dogs. They, of course, had left their dogs at home during their tour of America, and I can understand that. When Geri told them that I had my own blog describing my view of our travels, they smiled uncertainly, said their goodbyes, and took a hike. Some people just don’t understand. Geri acquired another new friend during lunch, a huge black raven who perched on the table just a few feet from her, looking at the food left on her plate. The bird had kind of a demanding attitude, prompting Don to remark that it was Sooo Raven. Geri ignored him. We drove down to where the big hotel is, the El Tovar, which was built in 1905 at the outrageous cost of $250,000. We walked along the rim of the Canyon there, where there was a low wall to protect people from falling in. Don saw that I was looking over the wall, and encouraged me to do “pop-up dog”, like I do at PetsMart to get cookies. I had no intention of doing any such thing. I was as close to the edge as I wanted to get. We met a lot more people who admired me, even some who took my picture. One of the people we met was a young Chinese girl, who was visiting America for the first time. Her English was really good, and we all enjoyed hearing her impressions of her visit. We watched a performance of Indian music and dancing, which was really impressive; these people ought to have a TV show.
We got back in the truck and headed south, out of the Park and back to Williams, where we got on 40 and went a few miles west to visit the town of Ash Fork. This was a big railroad town in the early part of the last century, with a big Fred Harvey Hotel and other rail facilities. The historical marker in town says that when the railroad pulled all the facilities out, the town suffered a decline. That appears to be putting it mildly. Don said that the place made Tucumcari look like a booming metropolis. We headed home to Williams, got back to the rig, and crashed. Long, tiring day. We’re heading for Vegas tomorrow, hope it’s not too hot. I’ll let you know!
We tried to get off to an early start this morning, but sometimes everything seems to conspire to chew up the time. Like this morning, Don had promised to find me some grass for my morning exercise, but we had a hard time finding it in Williams. We finally wound up on a softball field, which was pretty small, but I managed to get in some running and rolling. We got on the road about 10, heading north to the Grand Canyon in the truck. It took about an hour to get there, giving me some snooze time in my private compartment. When we finally arrived, we parked and walked over to the Rim Walk. I took one look and stepped back; this was a hole I really didn’t want to fall into. It’s huge! It was really beyond my comprehension. They say there’s a river down there, but I didn’t see it. We walked along the rim for awhile, and met a lot of people who wanted to pet me, which was OK. Some people we met said that they had dogs too, but they had left them at home. It made me glad that Geri and Don think that I’m such a close member of the family that they take me on all their trips, though they don’t always go to places that I approve of. While we were standing there looking at the Canyon, Geri’s phone went off; it was a call from Buddy Waller, our friend that we had met up with in Mobile, Alabama, while he was between trips to Australia. He was just checking up on us to see where we were, and to let us know that he was heading up to Seattle soon.
After Geri gave me my lunch, they went to the Deli in the park to get a sandwich. While they were eating, some Dutch people came by the truck and talked to me, then went over to Geri and Don to talk with them about dogs. They, of course, had left their dogs at home during their tour of America, and I can understand that. When Geri told them that I had my own blog describing my view of our travels, they smiled uncertainly, said their goodbyes, and took a hike. Some people just don’t understand. Geri acquired another new friend during lunch, a huge black raven who perched on the table just a few feet from her, looking at the food left on her plate. The bird had kind of a demanding attitude, prompting Don to remark that it was Sooo Raven. Geri ignored him. We drove down to where the big hotel is, the El Tovar, which was built in 1905 at the outrageous cost of $250,000. We walked along the rim of the Canyon there, where there was a low wall to protect people from falling in. Don saw that I was looking over the wall, and encouraged me to do “pop-up dog”, like I do at PetsMart to get cookies. I had no intention of doing any such thing. I was as close to the edge as I wanted to get. We met a lot more people who admired me, even some who took my picture. One of the people we met was a young Chinese girl, who was visiting America for the first time. Her English was really good, and we all enjoyed hearing her impressions of her visit. We watched a performance of Indian music and dancing, which was really impressive; these people ought to have a TV show.
We got back in the truck and headed south, out of the Park and back to Williams, where we got on 40 and went a few miles west to visit the town of Ash Fork. This was a big railroad town in the early part of the last century, with a big Fred Harvey Hotel and other rail facilities. The historical marker in town says that when the railroad pulled all the facilities out, the town suffered a decline. That appears to be putting it mildly. Don said that the place made Tucumcari look like a booming metropolis. We headed home to Williams, got back to the rig, and crashed. Long, tiring day. We’re heading for Vegas tomorrow, hope it’s not too hot. I’ll let you know!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Days 79, 80, 81
Dear friends, you know that I’ve striven, even strived, to produce a posting to this blog on a daily basis, providing some interesting content concerning the activities of this usually happy band of travelers. Generally, I’ve been successful in this, but sometimes, well, poop happens. Mostly, I didn’t have much to report; Monday we were underway from Albuquerque to Holbrook, AZ, and Tuesday I just hung around the rig with Geri, while Don was gallivanting off touring the town and the Petrified Forest. He took a few pictures, some of which I may include in the blog. He had some very good things to say about Holbrook, particularly the Visitor Center in the old Courthouse, which was really a museum depicting the history of Holbrook, and an old restaurant from the Route 66 era, where he had lunch. He had wanted to have lunch at the old Bucket of Blood Saloon, where one of the Dalton boys shot a couple of guys he was playing cards with, but he found out that it had been closed for about half a century. He did find a very nice city park, with lots of grass, where he took me in the morning for my workout. In the afternoon, he drove back up 40 to Petrified Forest National Park to see some sights that he and Geri hadn’t seen the last time they were there. He enjoyed his day, and we enjoyed our day of rest. Today we departed Holbrook and headed west, landing in the town of Williams in the early afternoon. The RV Park we chose turned out to be very nice, unusual in that it is part motel and part RV Park. Some of the motel rooms are in an old railroad passenger car and a caboose, and others are constructed of flagstones. We’re parked in a site up on a hill overlooking the town, a very nice view.
After we got situated, we took a ride downtown, which turned out to be a very colorful and lively place. The town gets a lot of visitors, mostly because there is a railroad line that starts here and takes people to the Grand Canyon. Geri and Don had a drink of something at one of the old bars, then got me out of the truck for a walking tour of the town. It has a lot of interesting old shops, many restaurants, and a lot of nice people. There were a lot of motorcycles in town, and they were very noisy, but it didn’t bother me much, because a lot of my dog friends at home are very noisy, too. You know who you are. We went back to the coach, and I had my dinner, then Geri and Don went back to town to have dinner at a Mexican restaurant. They said it was very good; it must have been, as there were no leftovers coming home for me.
I hear that tomorrow we’re going to drive up to the Grand Canyon. Geri and Don have been there before, but I’ve never seen it; it sounds really exciting. Don has warned me not to chase any rabbits near the edge of the canyon. He probably knows best. I’ll give you my impressions tomorrow. Talk to you then!
Dear friends, you know that I’ve striven, even strived, to produce a posting to this blog on a daily basis, providing some interesting content concerning the activities of this usually happy band of travelers. Generally, I’ve been successful in this, but sometimes, well, poop happens. Mostly, I didn’t have much to report; Monday we were underway from Albuquerque to Holbrook, AZ, and Tuesday I just hung around the rig with Geri, while Don was gallivanting off touring the town and the Petrified Forest. He took a few pictures, some of which I may include in the blog. He had some very good things to say about Holbrook, particularly the Visitor Center in the old Courthouse, which was really a museum depicting the history of Holbrook, and an old restaurant from the Route 66 era, where he had lunch. He had wanted to have lunch at the old Bucket of Blood Saloon, where one of the Dalton boys shot a couple of guys he was playing cards with, but he found out that it had been closed for about half a century. He did find a very nice city park, with lots of grass, where he took me in the morning for my workout. In the afternoon, he drove back up 40 to Petrified Forest National Park to see some sights that he and Geri hadn’t seen the last time they were there. He enjoyed his day, and we enjoyed our day of rest. Today we departed Holbrook and headed west, landing in the town of Williams in the early afternoon. The RV Park we chose turned out to be very nice, unusual in that it is part motel and part RV Park. Some of the motel rooms are in an old railroad passenger car and a caboose, and others are constructed of flagstones. We’re parked in a site up on a hill overlooking the town, a very nice view.
After we got situated, we took a ride downtown, which turned out to be a very colorful and lively place. The town gets a lot of visitors, mostly because there is a railroad line that starts here and takes people to the Grand Canyon. Geri and Don had a drink of something at one of the old bars, then got me out of the truck for a walking tour of the town. It has a lot of interesting old shops, many restaurants, and a lot of nice people. There were a lot of motorcycles in town, and they were very noisy, but it didn’t bother me much, because a lot of my dog friends at home are very noisy, too. You know who you are. We went back to the coach, and I had my dinner, then Geri and Don went back to town to have dinner at a Mexican restaurant. They said it was very good; it must have been, as there were no leftovers coming home for me.
I hear that tomorrow we’re going to drive up to the Grand Canyon. Geri and Don have been there before, but I’ve never seen it; it sounds really exciting. Don has warned me not to chase any rabbits near the edge of the canyon. He probably knows best. I’ll give you my impressions tomorrow. Talk to you then!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Day 78 – Albuquerque, NM
We’ll have to make do with a rather short posting tonight, as Geri and Don just got back from dinner at the local Indian Casino, and it’s rather late, so I don’t have a lot of time to confer with Don before my bedtime. First, a mild complaint. Geri took me out for a walk early this morning, and we visited with a lady who is here to present her dogs at a show. One of her dogs is a female Goldie, a nice enough dog, but to hear Geri talk, she was some kind of an angel sent from heaven. I mean, I’ve heard some canine compliments in my time, mostly directed at me, but this was over the top. I had a feeling that I was about to be traded off. There, I’ve got that off my broad, manly chest. A little later, Don took me back to the little park we went to yesterday, and I got to do some running and rolling. My leg feels fine now, and I even did some crazy dog twirls and cuts. Felt good. After we got back, we had lunch and they got ready to go out lollygagging around in some museum again. See ya later.
Again, they got back in time for my dinner, and brought with them a new chub of my lunch meat, for which I was very thankful, and a new crunchy plastic bottle toy. Good stuff. Then they were gone again for Geri’s Mothers’ Day dinner, a free buffet at the local casino. What a class act these people are. But they treat me pretty well, so who am I to throw bricks.
I have to tell you what they said about the museum, a Natural History Museum that concentrated on the ancient history of flora and fauna in New Mexico, with emphasis on dinosaurs. They enjoyed the displays and exhibits, but part of the package was an Imax movie called The Grand Canyon Adventure. It turned out to be an enviro-wacko film narrated by Robert Redford and starring Robert Kennedy, whose main message was that Glen Canyon Dam should be torn down. Since Lake Powell is one of their favorite places in all the world, this didn’t sit well with them at all. Don told me that Geri was frothing and muttering by the end of the movie, and he had to take her outside to calm her down. Don took advantage of the Museum comment sheets, and wrote a diatribe concerning the movie. Something about a “beautifully photographed piece of vile and vicious propaganda”, or something like that.
We’re out of here tomorrow, again heading west on 40. Don’s talking about a place called Holbrook, Arizona. Got a feeling that it might be Arizona’s answer to Tucumcari. Hope there’s some grass. Catch you tomorrow!
We’ll have to make do with a rather short posting tonight, as Geri and Don just got back from dinner at the local Indian Casino, and it’s rather late, so I don’t have a lot of time to confer with Don before my bedtime. First, a mild complaint. Geri took me out for a walk early this morning, and we visited with a lady who is here to present her dogs at a show. One of her dogs is a female Goldie, a nice enough dog, but to hear Geri talk, she was some kind of an angel sent from heaven. I mean, I’ve heard some canine compliments in my time, mostly directed at me, but this was over the top. I had a feeling that I was about to be traded off. There, I’ve got that off my broad, manly chest. A little later, Don took me back to the little park we went to yesterday, and I got to do some running and rolling. My leg feels fine now, and I even did some crazy dog twirls and cuts. Felt good. After we got back, we had lunch and they got ready to go out lollygagging around in some museum again. See ya later.
Again, they got back in time for my dinner, and brought with them a new chub of my lunch meat, for which I was very thankful, and a new crunchy plastic bottle toy. Good stuff. Then they were gone again for Geri’s Mothers’ Day dinner, a free buffet at the local casino. What a class act these people are. But they treat me pretty well, so who am I to throw bricks.
I have to tell you what they said about the museum, a Natural History Museum that concentrated on the ancient history of flora and fauna in New Mexico, with emphasis on dinosaurs. They enjoyed the displays and exhibits, but part of the package was an Imax movie called The Grand Canyon Adventure. It turned out to be an enviro-wacko film narrated by Robert Redford and starring Robert Kennedy, whose main message was that Glen Canyon Dam should be torn down. Since Lake Powell is one of their favorite places in all the world, this didn’t sit well with them at all. Don told me that Geri was frothing and muttering by the end of the movie, and he had to take her outside to calm her down. Don took advantage of the Museum comment sheets, and wrote a diatribe concerning the movie. Something about a “beautifully photographed piece of vile and vicious propaganda”, or something like that.
We’re out of here tomorrow, again heading west on 40. Don’s talking about a place called Holbrook, Arizona. Got a feeling that it might be Arizona’s answer to Tucumcari. Hope there’s some grass. Catch you tomorrow!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Day 77 – Albuquerque, NM
Don followed through on last night’s promise; he and I got in the truck and drove to a small park in Bernalillo, which is where the RV Park actually is. I was thrilled to see the grass, and immediately enjoyed an enthusiastic roll in it. When I finished my roll, I took off running across the park, which seemed to irritate some dogs who were fenced in an adjacent yard. They barked a lot, but it didn’t bother me. I ran, then rolled some more, took care of some business, ran some more, rolled some more, just enjoyed having some grass to revel in. I noticed that Don had brought a tennis ball, and was bouncing it on a concrete pad; I trotted over to him, and he bounced the ball over to me. I caught it expertly, then ran over to a far corner of the park and dropped it. I know, I know, this isn’t what retrievers are supposed to do, but Don knows I’m a little different. Besides, the exercise is good for him. After a while, we decided that I had enough fun and headed for the truck and went back to the rig. When I jumped out of the truck, I think I landed wrong on my right foreleg, because it started to hurt a little after that. Nothing too bad, I think a few days bed rest and some extra rations will take care of it. Don and I sat outside in the sun for awhile and talked, until I got too hot and we had to go in. After we all had lunch, I was ready for a nice nap and they were ready to head out for some kind of a museum. I wished them a pleasant afternoon, and went to sleep.
They returned in time for my dinner, for which they get another gold star. Of course, they had to tell me all about the things they had seen that afternoon, and I had to listen. Actually, it sounded pretty interesting, though a bit over my head. The place they visited is called The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, which may sound a little obscure, unless you know Don pretty well. See, when Don was much, much younger, he studied in college to be a Nuclear Physicist. He actually did pretty well at school, and got invited to some functions where he met a few actual, practicing Nuclear Physicists. He soon came to the realization that they lived in a world that he didn’t recognize, 24 hours a day, and he would have to move to that world if he continued on this course. Short story, he became a Mechanical Engineer. But he still has a strong interest in the nuclear world, so this museum was a natural for him. Maybe not so much for Geri. But even she said that the displays were really interesting, and they both were of the opinion that the museum had a wealth of information, particularly regarding the development of nuclear weapons. Since most of the development and early testing of the bombs took place in New Mexico, this seems like a natural place to have such a museum. They saw casings that were made for the bombs that were dropped on Japan at the end of the Second World War, warheads used in missiles and torpedoes, and the H-bomb casings that were accidentally dropped in the ocean off Spain back in the 60’s. I know nothing about any of this, just what they tell me. Don even saw a model of a nuclear powered cargo ship that he applied to work on back in the Sixties. When they left the museum, they drove through Albuquerque on the route of old Highway 66, looking at what remained of the old motels and restaurants that served tourists before Highway 40 was built. Don found the one motel that he had stayed in when he was thirteen years old, travelling with his parents. He said that, at the time, he thought that this place was the most glamorous and exciting accommodation he had ever seen. Now there’s a chain link fence around it, and it’s a wreck.
Geri and Don went out for dinner to a place that the owner of the KOA in Tucumcari had recommended. They came back moaning and groaning, complaining about having eaten too much, but they couldn’t stop because the food was so great. Sometimes I think that they need someone to keep an eye on them, what they eat and so forth, like they do for me. Anyway, Don says he’ll take me back to the little park in the morning, even if he has to lift me into the truck. I know he’ll do it, because he always keeps his promises. To me, at least. Will let you know how it goes. Nite, All!
Don followed through on last night’s promise; he and I got in the truck and drove to a small park in Bernalillo, which is where the RV Park actually is. I was thrilled to see the grass, and immediately enjoyed an enthusiastic roll in it. When I finished my roll, I took off running across the park, which seemed to irritate some dogs who were fenced in an adjacent yard. They barked a lot, but it didn’t bother me. I ran, then rolled some more, took care of some business, ran some more, rolled some more, just enjoyed having some grass to revel in. I noticed that Don had brought a tennis ball, and was bouncing it on a concrete pad; I trotted over to him, and he bounced the ball over to me. I caught it expertly, then ran over to a far corner of the park and dropped it. I know, I know, this isn’t what retrievers are supposed to do, but Don knows I’m a little different. Besides, the exercise is good for him. After a while, we decided that I had enough fun and headed for the truck and went back to the rig. When I jumped out of the truck, I think I landed wrong on my right foreleg, because it started to hurt a little after that. Nothing too bad, I think a few days bed rest and some extra rations will take care of it. Don and I sat outside in the sun for awhile and talked, until I got too hot and we had to go in. After we all had lunch, I was ready for a nice nap and they were ready to head out for some kind of a museum. I wished them a pleasant afternoon, and went to sleep.
They returned in time for my dinner, for which they get another gold star. Of course, they had to tell me all about the things they had seen that afternoon, and I had to listen. Actually, it sounded pretty interesting, though a bit over my head. The place they visited is called The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, which may sound a little obscure, unless you know Don pretty well. See, when Don was much, much younger, he studied in college to be a Nuclear Physicist. He actually did pretty well at school, and got invited to some functions where he met a few actual, practicing Nuclear Physicists. He soon came to the realization that they lived in a world that he didn’t recognize, 24 hours a day, and he would have to move to that world if he continued on this course. Short story, he became a Mechanical Engineer. But he still has a strong interest in the nuclear world, so this museum was a natural for him. Maybe not so much for Geri. But even she said that the displays were really interesting, and they both were of the opinion that the museum had a wealth of information, particularly regarding the development of nuclear weapons. Since most of the development and early testing of the bombs took place in New Mexico, this seems like a natural place to have such a museum. They saw casings that were made for the bombs that were dropped on Japan at the end of the Second World War, warheads used in missiles and torpedoes, and the H-bomb casings that were accidentally dropped in the ocean off Spain back in the 60’s. I know nothing about any of this, just what they tell me. Don even saw a model of a nuclear powered cargo ship that he applied to work on back in the Sixties. When they left the museum, they drove through Albuquerque on the route of old Highway 66, looking at what remained of the old motels and restaurants that served tourists before Highway 40 was built. Don found the one motel that he had stayed in when he was thirteen years old, travelling with his parents. He said that, at the time, he thought that this place was the most glamorous and exciting accommodation he had ever seen. Now there’s a chain link fence around it, and it’s a wreck.
Geri and Don went out for dinner to a place that the owner of the KOA in Tucumcari had recommended. They came back moaning and groaning, complaining about having eaten too much, but they couldn’t stop because the food was so great. Sometimes I think that they need someone to keep an eye on them, what they eat and so forth, like they do for me. Anyway, Don says he’ll take me back to the little park in the morning, even if he has to lift me into the truck. I know he’ll do it, because he always keeps his promises. To me, at least. Will let you know how it goes. Nite, All!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Day 76 – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dear followers of these humble writings, I’m sure that you will recall fairly recent observations in this blog concerning how sick and tired we all were of the rain, the cold, the overcast skies, the whole miserable weather experience of Western Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas. You will also recall our decision to head directly west at a reasonable pace to escape that dismal climate, a plan that has succeeded, perhaps too well. To put it bluntly, it’s doggone hot. It was hot in Tucumcari, and it’s hot here. I’m hoping it’s going to cool off, but I don’t have any assurance of that. You must realize that Geri and Don are in agreement with me that the temperature, particularly in the afternoon, is way too high for their comfort, let alone mine, with my elegant, but permanent, golden coat of fur. After we arrived at our new RV Park, another KOA, they needed to go shopping to find me some more of my food. I was grateful for this effort on their part, but really wanted to go with them, as I love to go shopping in pet stores. But they decided that it was too hot for me to ride in the back of the truck, and I had to stay home in the air conditioning. On the positive side, they were able to find my food at a nearby store, and I was glad to have my dinner on time.
I also need to point out that our decision to move west with alacrity was a good one just from the standpoint of our survival. Don and I were watching the Weather Channel this morning before we left Tucumcari, and saw that very high winds and rain were sweeping across southern Missouri, where we would have been had we not changed our plans. Houses were being wrecked, towers blown down, we even saw a school that was destroyed. We really wouldn’t have wanted to be in the middle of that. So, we really are better off here, regardless of the heat. We understand that it should cool off a little tomorrow, so we’re hoping for the best. We’ve signed up for three nights here, Geri and Don have several places they want to visit.
Anyway, the air conditioning continues to work well, we’re very comfortable inside the rig, and I sleep well at night. Don has promised to take me to a park with some good grass tomorrow morning, he scouted it out today while they were shopping for my food. That’s good, cause I really need to do some running and rolling. I’ll let you know tomorrow how it works out. Bye for now!
Dear followers of these humble writings, I’m sure that you will recall fairly recent observations in this blog concerning how sick and tired we all were of the rain, the cold, the overcast skies, the whole miserable weather experience of Western Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas. You will also recall our decision to head directly west at a reasonable pace to escape that dismal climate, a plan that has succeeded, perhaps too well. To put it bluntly, it’s doggone hot. It was hot in Tucumcari, and it’s hot here. I’m hoping it’s going to cool off, but I don’t have any assurance of that. You must realize that Geri and Don are in agreement with me that the temperature, particularly in the afternoon, is way too high for their comfort, let alone mine, with my elegant, but permanent, golden coat of fur. After we arrived at our new RV Park, another KOA, they needed to go shopping to find me some more of my food. I was grateful for this effort on their part, but really wanted to go with them, as I love to go shopping in pet stores. But they decided that it was too hot for me to ride in the back of the truck, and I had to stay home in the air conditioning. On the positive side, they were able to find my food at a nearby store, and I was glad to have my dinner on time.
I also need to point out that our decision to move west with alacrity was a good one just from the standpoint of our survival. Don and I were watching the Weather Channel this morning before we left Tucumcari, and saw that very high winds and rain were sweeping across southern Missouri, where we would have been had we not changed our plans. Houses were being wrecked, towers blown down, we even saw a school that was destroyed. We really wouldn’t have wanted to be in the middle of that. So, we really are better off here, regardless of the heat. We understand that it should cool off a little tomorrow, so we’re hoping for the best. We’ve signed up for three nights here, Geri and Don have several places they want to visit.
Anyway, the air conditioning continues to work well, we’re very comfortable inside the rig, and I sleep well at night. Don has promised to take me to a park with some good grass tomorrow morning, he scouted it out today while they were shopping for my food. That’s good, cause I really need to do some running and rolling. I’ll let you know tomorrow how it works out. Bye for now!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Day 75 – Tucumcari, NM
When Don and I got up this morning, a little before six, it was with the usual understanding that nothing much would be happening for a couple of hours until Geri got up. We did our usual phony paper bit, he made me breakfast, and we settled down to his browsing and my snoozing. We were startled when Geri burst upon the scene before seven, filled with her ideas about how we were spending the day, where we were going, and how soon all this was going to happen. As it turned out, she only had my best interests at heart, wanting me to go somewhere that I would enjoy before the day became too hot for my comfort. So, a little after nine, we were in the truck heading north to Ute Lake, a reservoir on the Canadian River, near the town of Logan. The State Park at the lake offered several access areas to the lakefront, and Don picked one on the north end of the lake. We parked and walked down to the water, which looked very cool and inviting to me. Before I realized what I was doing, I was wading in the lake belly-deep, and it was wonderful. You may know that I’m not much into swimming, though I did some dog paddles in the Colorado River last year, and I didn’t feel like swimming today. But the water felt so cool and good, I stayed in for quite awhile. Eventually we had to leave, and we drove around the lake and Logan for awhile before we headed back to Tucumcari. We all had lunch, I laid down for my nap, and they took off.
They were gone all afternoon, which was OK with me, as I really needed some nap time. They came home just before my dinner time, and told me about the things they had seen. They first had gone to the Dinosaur Museum in town, which is part of the local Community College. They said that it was a great little museum, very professionally done, with many excellent displays of dinosaur artifacts. Since they have a bronze foundry at the school, they’ve done something unique by casting entire dinosaur skeletons in bronze, a very demanding and painstaking process. They said the results were very beautiful, and they hope the photos they took show them properly. Then they went to the Tucumcari Historical Museum, which was most unusual. Don says that this should be a model for every small town museum; they’ve put together every available artifact and piece of memorabilia, including photographs, sheet music, military uniforms, maps, old appliances, hotel registers, and anything else pertinent to the history of the city in a building that was the town’s original schoolhouse. They spent hours there looking at all of the great stuff that had been collected over the years. Don told me privately that he thought that our house was starting to look like that kind of a museum, but that I shouldn’t mention it to Geri. I won’t.
Dinner was leftovers from the Big Texan, resulting in some wonderful plates for me. Don and I sat out at the picnic table working on the blog, while he enjoyed a cigar and some scotch. We had some new neighbors pull in while we were working; they were from Pagosa Springs, Colorado, where Geri and Don had vacationed some years ago with Carol and Mike, Geri’s sister and brother-in-law, and Matthew and Genevieve, their grandchildren. I wasn’t born at that time, so I don’t remember it. Tomorrow we head for Albuquerque, and I will always give Don credit for knowing how to spell it. G’nite to all!
When Don and I got up this morning, a little before six, it was with the usual understanding that nothing much would be happening for a couple of hours until Geri got up. We did our usual phony paper bit, he made me breakfast, and we settled down to his browsing and my snoozing. We were startled when Geri burst upon the scene before seven, filled with her ideas about how we were spending the day, where we were going, and how soon all this was going to happen. As it turned out, she only had my best interests at heart, wanting me to go somewhere that I would enjoy before the day became too hot for my comfort. So, a little after nine, we were in the truck heading north to Ute Lake, a reservoir on the Canadian River, near the town of Logan. The State Park at the lake offered several access areas to the lakefront, and Don picked one on the north end of the lake. We parked and walked down to the water, which looked very cool and inviting to me. Before I realized what I was doing, I was wading in the lake belly-deep, and it was wonderful. You may know that I’m not much into swimming, though I did some dog paddles in the Colorado River last year, and I didn’t feel like swimming today. But the water felt so cool and good, I stayed in for quite awhile. Eventually we had to leave, and we drove around the lake and Logan for awhile before we headed back to Tucumcari. We all had lunch, I laid down for my nap, and they took off.
They were gone all afternoon, which was OK with me, as I really needed some nap time. They came home just before my dinner time, and told me about the things they had seen. They first had gone to the Dinosaur Museum in town, which is part of the local Community College. They said that it was a great little museum, very professionally done, with many excellent displays of dinosaur artifacts. Since they have a bronze foundry at the school, they’ve done something unique by casting entire dinosaur skeletons in bronze, a very demanding and painstaking process. They said the results were very beautiful, and they hope the photos they took show them properly. Then they went to the Tucumcari Historical Museum, which was most unusual. Don says that this should be a model for every small town museum; they’ve put together every available artifact and piece of memorabilia, including photographs, sheet music, military uniforms, maps, old appliances, hotel registers, and anything else pertinent to the history of the city in a building that was the town’s original schoolhouse. They spent hours there looking at all of the great stuff that had been collected over the years. Don told me privately that he thought that our house was starting to look like that kind of a museum, but that I shouldn’t mention it to Geri. I won’t.
Dinner was leftovers from the Big Texan, resulting in some wonderful plates for me. Don and I sat out at the picnic table working on the blog, while he enjoyed a cigar and some scotch. We had some new neighbors pull in while we were working; they were from Pagosa Springs, Colorado, where Geri and Don had vacationed some years ago with Carol and Mike, Geri’s sister and brother-in-law, and Matthew and Genevieve, their grandchildren. I wasn’t born at that time, so I don’t remember it. Tomorrow we head for Albuquerque, and I will always give Don credit for knowing how to spell it. G’nite to all!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Day 74 – Tucumcari, New Mexico
Last night, we went to bed under clear skies and starry night; this morning we woke up to a thick overcast and a cold, bracing wind. Amarillo was not to be our warm, fuzzy slice of heaven. Don was muttering about Tucumcari when I got up, and I knew we were heading for the road again. Didn’t bother me, this isn’t my favorite park by a long shot. There aren’t any big, grassy fields to run and roll in, and most of the other dogs are hyperactive and dumb. Like this morning, when Don took me out for a walk, we met a young female Goldie, who was literally out of her human’s control. She wanted to engage in a wild, playful romp and run with me, and got so crazed about it that she slipped her collar and went running wild. Her lady human tried to get the collar back on her, but she was very elusive. I cunningly moved in to be close to the lady, bringing the boisterous young pup close enough to me and her human that she could be recollared. Then there was the little Shih Tsu who was so enamored that she wouldn’t get more than a few feet away from me, allowing me no privacy to complete my morning business. She finally had to leave, because her fifth wheel was rolling down the street, about to leave both her and her human. I finally got some private time, got my job done, and we continued our brief walk. I need some wide open spaces, for sure.
We got the rig put together for getting underway, and hit the road, Highway 40, headed west for Tucumcari. It wasn’t a long run, and a couple of hours later we pulled into a KOA on the outskirts of town. Looks like a pretty nice place, has some grass and some fields out in back. Don got the big awning down to provide some shade, which we needed because the temperature was in the nineties! No more cold, no more rain, no more clouds. Don was completing the hookup when Geri let out a shriek and called him over to the curb side of the rig; she had found a stowaway. Sitting in a piece of the awning hardware, near the roof, was a small frog, about the size of a mouse. He was very confused, and didn’t know what to do or where to go. I felt sorry for him, as he had no human guidance to keep him safe. Don offered him the top of the awning rod to climb onto, so that we could put him safely on the ground, but he wasn’t buying it. Don pointed out that if he wanted down from his perch, he could travel down the awning onto a tree that we were right next to, and head for the ground. It was Don’s opinion that the frog was a Mississippi River frog, because we had been parked right next to a tree that would have given him a path to the roof. Tucumcari’s environment would prove a bit strange to him. Don took off in the truck to get it washed, and when he came back, the frog was gone.
Geri and Don went into town later to get some ice cream. When they came back, Geri took me for a walk while Don fixed dinner. She told me that Tucumcari was a little depressing, with a lot of vacant buildings, long dead motels and restaurants, and rundown houses. But she had to admit that she liked the weather a lot better than where we had been. Don has a passion for Route 66, the old highway that runs through the middle of town, a road that he travelled when he was young. He told me that he had been through Tucumcari many times in the past, but had never stopped to see it. Well, we’re seeing it now. Dinner was chicken paprikesh over noodles, and I got some excellent plates. Geri got her ice cream, and Don got a frozen Snickers ice cream bar. We all went to bed happy. We’ll do some exploring tomorrow, and I’ll let you know what we find. Nite, All!
Last night, we went to bed under clear skies and starry night; this morning we woke up to a thick overcast and a cold, bracing wind. Amarillo was not to be our warm, fuzzy slice of heaven. Don was muttering about Tucumcari when I got up, and I knew we were heading for the road again. Didn’t bother me, this isn’t my favorite park by a long shot. There aren’t any big, grassy fields to run and roll in, and most of the other dogs are hyperactive and dumb. Like this morning, when Don took me out for a walk, we met a young female Goldie, who was literally out of her human’s control. She wanted to engage in a wild, playful romp and run with me, and got so crazed about it that she slipped her collar and went running wild. Her lady human tried to get the collar back on her, but she was very elusive. I cunningly moved in to be close to the lady, bringing the boisterous young pup close enough to me and her human that she could be recollared. Then there was the little Shih Tsu who was so enamored that she wouldn’t get more than a few feet away from me, allowing me no privacy to complete my morning business. She finally had to leave, because her fifth wheel was rolling down the street, about to leave both her and her human. I finally got some private time, got my job done, and we continued our brief walk. I need some wide open spaces, for sure.
We got the rig put together for getting underway, and hit the road, Highway 40, headed west for Tucumcari. It wasn’t a long run, and a couple of hours later we pulled into a KOA on the outskirts of town. Looks like a pretty nice place, has some grass and some fields out in back. Don got the big awning down to provide some shade, which we needed because the temperature was in the nineties! No more cold, no more rain, no more clouds. Don was completing the hookup when Geri let out a shriek and called him over to the curb side of the rig; she had found a stowaway. Sitting in a piece of the awning hardware, near the roof, was a small frog, about the size of a mouse. He was very confused, and didn’t know what to do or where to go. I felt sorry for him, as he had no human guidance to keep him safe. Don offered him the top of the awning rod to climb onto, so that we could put him safely on the ground, but he wasn’t buying it. Don pointed out that if he wanted down from his perch, he could travel down the awning onto a tree that we were right next to, and head for the ground. It was Don’s opinion that the frog was a Mississippi River frog, because we had been parked right next to a tree that would have given him a path to the roof. Tucumcari’s environment would prove a bit strange to him. Don took off in the truck to get it washed, and when he came back, the frog was gone.
Geri and Don went into town later to get some ice cream. When they came back, Geri took me for a walk while Don fixed dinner. She told me that Tucumcari was a little depressing, with a lot of vacant buildings, long dead motels and restaurants, and rundown houses. But she had to admit that she liked the weather a lot better than where we had been. Don has a passion for Route 66, the old highway that runs through the middle of town, a road that he travelled when he was young. He told me that he had been through Tucumcari many times in the past, but had never stopped to see it. Well, we’re seeing it now. Dinner was chicken paprikesh over noodles, and I got some excellent plates. Geri got her ice cream, and Don got a frozen Snickers ice cream bar. We all went to bed happy. We’ll do some exploring tomorrow, and I’ll let you know what we find. Nite, All!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Day 73 – Amarillo, TX
If I were to tell you that we woke up to more overcast and drizzle this morning, would you be surprised? I don’t think so, you’d probably shrug and say, “So what? These people are always in yucky weather.” And you’d be right. So I won’t go into that. I will tell you about my walk with Don this morning, though. There were a lot of nice grassy areas around the Park, though they were pretty soggy. I still managed to find a place suitable for rolling, and got a little soggy myself. We walked down to a fenced-in area, and I saw a sight that stopped me cold; a bird about three times my size! It looked kind of like the Rhea that I saw in Saint Augustine. I looked at Don, hoping that he would tell me what this was, and he told me that it was an Emu; what a funny name! I continued to stare at the bird, while the bird stared at me. I started to slowly approach the Emu, who showed no signs of retreating. I finally got right up against the fence, just inches away from it, and wagged my tail in friendship. The Emu walked down the fence line, away from me. I decided to follow it, but I guess I got a little excited, because I sort of pranced rapidly along the fence. This agitated the Emu, who started running the other way down the fence. I got even more excited, and ran down the fence line after it. About this time, a little goat showed up at the fence, and started scratching himself against it, right in front of me. I didn’t know what to do! I looked at Don, and he told me it was time to leave these guys. I was reluctant to do so, but he always knows best. So I ran around the fence line, and there were some geese! They started making a terrible racket, honking ferociously, and we were afraid that they would disturb people, so we moved on. There were lots of trails and ponds to explore, including a pond where a big catfish came out of the water and looked at me. I smiled and wagged my tail. He submerged. I let Don know that I really liked this place, and would like to stay a few more days. He told me to forget it, we were headed to Tucumcari, and that was that.
So, about ten-thirty, we hit the road again, heading west on 40. It was rainy most of the way, and we hit some heavy fog shortly after we crossed into Texas. About 30 miles before we got to Amarillo, the weather cleared, and we had the first sunshine we had seen in over five days! We pulled into an RV Park that we stayed in five years ago, when Buddy was with us. It looked and smelled about the same. I soon found out why we were here; after I was walked and fed, a big car pulled up in front of the rig. It had huge cow horns on the hood! Geri and Don got into it, and it took off. A couple of hours later, they came back in the same car, groaning and moaning about having too much to eat, and carrying a heavy container of food. They had been to the Big Texan, a restaurant they went to five years ago and never forgot. It seems that they have the best beef in Texas, and their portions are huge. Don says I’ll get my share, but not right away. Sure. Geri and I went out for a little walk, and met some nice people. We went back to the rig, and found Don sitting at the computer, staring blankly at it. He said he was too full to help me with the blog. I cozied up to him, and licked his watch, which is my favorite display of affection for him. He relented and said he’d do the best he can. This is the best he can. We all hope to do better tomorrow, when we’re off to Tucumcari, New Mexico. Talk to you then!
If I were to tell you that we woke up to more overcast and drizzle this morning, would you be surprised? I don’t think so, you’d probably shrug and say, “So what? These people are always in yucky weather.” And you’d be right. So I won’t go into that. I will tell you about my walk with Don this morning, though. There were a lot of nice grassy areas around the Park, though they were pretty soggy. I still managed to find a place suitable for rolling, and got a little soggy myself. We walked down to a fenced-in area, and I saw a sight that stopped me cold; a bird about three times my size! It looked kind of like the Rhea that I saw in Saint Augustine. I looked at Don, hoping that he would tell me what this was, and he told me that it was an Emu; what a funny name! I continued to stare at the bird, while the bird stared at me. I started to slowly approach the Emu, who showed no signs of retreating. I finally got right up against the fence, just inches away from it, and wagged my tail in friendship. The Emu walked down the fence line, away from me. I decided to follow it, but I guess I got a little excited, because I sort of pranced rapidly along the fence. This agitated the Emu, who started running the other way down the fence. I got even more excited, and ran down the fence line after it. About this time, a little goat showed up at the fence, and started scratching himself against it, right in front of me. I didn’t know what to do! I looked at Don, and he told me it was time to leave these guys. I was reluctant to do so, but he always knows best. So I ran around the fence line, and there were some geese! They started making a terrible racket, honking ferociously, and we were afraid that they would disturb people, so we moved on. There were lots of trails and ponds to explore, including a pond where a big catfish came out of the water and looked at me. I smiled and wagged my tail. He submerged. I let Don know that I really liked this place, and would like to stay a few more days. He told me to forget it, we were headed to Tucumcari, and that was that.
So, about ten-thirty, we hit the road again, heading west on 40. It was rainy most of the way, and we hit some heavy fog shortly after we crossed into Texas. About 30 miles before we got to Amarillo, the weather cleared, and we had the first sunshine we had seen in over five days! We pulled into an RV Park that we stayed in five years ago, when Buddy was with us. It looked and smelled about the same. I soon found out why we were here; after I was walked and fed, a big car pulled up in front of the rig. It had huge cow horns on the hood! Geri and Don got into it, and it took off. A couple of hours later, they came back in the same car, groaning and moaning about having too much to eat, and carrying a heavy container of food. They had been to the Big Texan, a restaurant they went to five years ago and never forgot. It seems that they have the best beef in Texas, and their portions are huge. Don says I’ll get my share, but not right away. Sure. Geri and I went out for a little walk, and met some nice people. We went back to the rig, and found Don sitting at the computer, staring blankly at it. He said he was too full to help me with the blog. I cozied up to him, and licked his watch, which is my favorite display of affection for him. He relented and said he’d do the best he can. This is the best he can. We all hope to do better tomorrow, when we’re off to Tucumcari, New Mexico. Talk to you then!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Day 72 – Checotah, OK
We woke up to another cloudy, dismal morning on the bank of the Mississippi, which made us even more anxious to get moving west toward some sunshine. But I got my full walk in with Don, did some running and a crazy dog routine, and came back to the rig kind of out of breath. We were heading for getting a real early start when Don noticed that the battery charger wasn’t charging, and had to do a fuse replacement. He wanted the batteries to charge up while we were underway, so he had to get the generator started, which it didn’t want to do. He finally got it going, and got us going as well. We headed west on Highway 40 across Arkansas. I had gotten the impression that neither one of them were really fond of Arkansas, but I’m not sure why. But we zoomed across the state at a relatively high speed, with only one stop at a rest area for me. From what I saw of it, Arkansas looked rather pretty, lots of hills with trees, some lakes and rivers, and some places that I thought needed exploring. Like a town called Conway, that was proud of its park, which was called Toad Suck. I’d really like to know more about that.
Don has become fixated about getting to Tucumcari, New Mexico, as soon as possible. We drove deep into Oklahoma today, so that we can make it to Amarillo, Texas, tomorrow. From there, it’s not a long drive to Tucumcari. He also has a fixation on a restaurant called the Big Texan in Amarillo. I think it’s a steak thing. We’re in a nice KOA tonight, but it’s raining and yucky. I think we’ll be on the road to the Big Texan early tomorrow. Hope there’s something in it for me. Will let you know!
We woke up to another cloudy, dismal morning on the bank of the Mississippi, which made us even more anxious to get moving west toward some sunshine. But I got my full walk in with Don, did some running and a crazy dog routine, and came back to the rig kind of out of breath. We were heading for getting a real early start when Don noticed that the battery charger wasn’t charging, and had to do a fuse replacement. He wanted the batteries to charge up while we were underway, so he had to get the generator started, which it didn’t want to do. He finally got it going, and got us going as well. We headed west on Highway 40 across Arkansas. I had gotten the impression that neither one of them were really fond of Arkansas, but I’m not sure why. But we zoomed across the state at a relatively high speed, with only one stop at a rest area for me. From what I saw of it, Arkansas looked rather pretty, lots of hills with trees, some lakes and rivers, and some places that I thought needed exploring. Like a town called Conway, that was proud of its park, which was called Toad Suck. I’d really like to know more about that.
Don has become fixated about getting to Tucumcari, New Mexico, as soon as possible. We drove deep into Oklahoma today, so that we can make it to Amarillo, Texas, tomorrow. From there, it’s not a long drive to Tucumcari. He also has a fixation on a restaurant called the Big Texan in Amarillo. I think it’s a steak thing. We’re in a nice KOA tonight, but it’s raining and yucky. I think we’ll be on the road to the Big Texan early tomorrow. Hope there’s something in it for me. Will let you know!
Day 72 – Checotah, OK
We woke up to another cloudy, dismal morning on the bank of the Mississippi, which made us even more anxious to get moving west toward some sunshine. But I got my full walk in with Don, did some running and a crazy dog routine, and came back to the rig kind of out of breath. We were heading for getting a real early start when Don noticed that the battery charger wasn’t charging, and had to do a fuse replacement. He wanted the batteries to charge up while we were underway, so he had to get the generator started, which it didn’t want to do. He finally got it going, and got us going as well. We headed west on Highway 40 across Arkansas. I had gotten the impression that neither one of them were really fond of Arkansas, but I’m not sure why. But we zoomed across the state at a relatively high speed, with only one stop at a rest area for me. From what I saw of it, Arkansas looked rather pretty, lots of hills with trees, some lakes and rivers, and some places that I thought needed exploring. Like a town called Conway, that was proud of its park, which was called Toad Suck. I’d really like to know more about that.
Don has become fixated about getting to Tucumcari, New Mexico, as soon as possible. We drove deep into Oklahoma today, so that we can make it to Amarillo, Texas, tomorrow. From there, it’s not a long drive to Tucumcari. He also has a fixation on a restaurant called the Big Texan in Amarillo. I think it’s a steak thing. We’re in a nice KOA tonight, but it’s raining and yucky. I think we’ll be on the road to the Big Texan early tomorrow. Hope there’s something in it for me. Will let you know!
We woke up to another cloudy, dismal morning on the bank of the Mississippi, which made us even more anxious to get moving west toward some sunshine. But I got my full walk in with Don, did some running and a crazy dog routine, and came back to the rig kind of out of breath. We were heading for getting a real early start when Don noticed that the battery charger wasn’t charging, and had to do a fuse replacement. He wanted the batteries to charge up while we were underway, so he had to get the generator started, which it didn’t want to do. He finally got it going, and got us going as well. We headed west on Highway 40 across Arkansas. I had gotten the impression that neither one of them were really fond of Arkansas, but I’m not sure why. But we zoomed across the state at a relatively high speed, with only one stop at a rest area for me. From what I saw of it, Arkansas looked rather pretty, lots of hills with trees, some lakes and rivers, and some places that I thought needed exploring. Like a town called Conway, that was proud of its park, which was called Toad Suck. I’d really like to know more about that.
Don has become fixated about getting to Tucumcari, New Mexico, as soon as possible. We drove deep into Oklahoma today, so that we can make it to Amarillo, Texas, tomorrow. From there, it’s not a long drive to Tucumcari. He also has a fixation on a restaurant called the Big Texan in Amarillo. I think it’s a steak thing. We’re in a nice KOA tonight, but it’s raining and yucky. I think we’ll be on the road to the Big Texan early tomorrow. Hope there’s something in it for me. Will let you know!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Day 71 – Memphis (West), AR
We woke up again to the musical sound of raindrops falling on our roof, though without the thunder sound effects. It wasn’t raining really hard, it was just raining. I did a really fast job of retrieving the phony paper, didn’t pause to sniff the air for new smells like I usually do, because I’m really tired of the rain, like we all are. Fortunately it tapered off a little later, before Don and I went out for our walk, and I was even able to find some halfway decent spots to roll in. When we left the coach, Don pointed out a pushboat with a bunch of barges coming upriver, about a mile downstream from us. He had remarked earlier about how fast the current in the Mississippi was running, and how tough it was on traffic going up the river. When we returned from our walk, about a half hour later, the pushboat and its barges were just offshore from us, so their speed was about two miles an hour. No, I didn’t calculate that, Don did. He said that at that rate, it would take them about ten days to get this far from New Orleans. We spent most of the morning doing some more cleaning and maintenance, had lunch, and then got in the truck and headed for Memphis.
The rain was still holding off pretty much, so we were able to do a moving tour of downtown Memphis without looking through raindrops. They were having a music festival this weekend, and there were a lot of people downtown, many of them dressed like it was the middle of summer. The older part of the city, where all of the historic music places are, was blocked off, and the parking lots were charging $20 for short term parking, so we kept going. We drove out to the east end of town, where there are a lot of really beautiful homes, and found a big park. While we were pulling into a parking spot, we saw a woman with five Yorky Yappers, all on leashes, and all running around like crazy, getting their leashes totally tangled. They had been out in the wet grass, and were all soaking wet; she was herding them over to her car, then loading them in while they yapped endlessly. I took pride in jumping down from my private compartment in the truck, following Don’s directions precisely, walking beside him and Geri, and chasing squirrels only when granted permission to do so. Leash? I don’t need no stinking leash! When we got back into the truck, we headed west out to a place called Germantown, because Don wanted to see it. I think he was secretly hoping to find a source for the German red cabbage that he loves so much. When we got there, he was disappointed to see that it was just another upscale suburb, with nothing German about it at all. While I’m thinking about it, I should say a few more words about Garmie. Now, I know she’s not human, or canine, or related to any of us in any way, but I think about her as a fellow traveler who is always with us and wanting to help in any way she can. While we were travelling around Memphis today, we were frequently consulting Garmie on which way to go to get us to a freeway, where to find something we were looking for, and how to get back across the river to home. She was very helpful and gave good, accurate information consistently, even though she hasn’t been updated in over a year. Don didn’t argue with her once today.
We stopped at a barbeque restaurant in West Memphis on our way home, and Geri and Don got some ribs and fixin’s for dinner. They really enjoyed it, and I got some super plates out of it. I say, let’s do it again! Our plans for tomorrow sound pretty simple; head west until it stops raining. Don says he wants to be in Tucumcari, New Mexico, as soon as possible. So, tomorrow we hit Highway 40 until we feel like stopping; don’t know where that will be, but I’ll surely be reporting it to you!
We woke up again to the musical sound of raindrops falling on our roof, though without the thunder sound effects. It wasn’t raining really hard, it was just raining. I did a really fast job of retrieving the phony paper, didn’t pause to sniff the air for new smells like I usually do, because I’m really tired of the rain, like we all are. Fortunately it tapered off a little later, before Don and I went out for our walk, and I was even able to find some halfway decent spots to roll in. When we left the coach, Don pointed out a pushboat with a bunch of barges coming upriver, about a mile downstream from us. He had remarked earlier about how fast the current in the Mississippi was running, and how tough it was on traffic going up the river. When we returned from our walk, about a half hour later, the pushboat and its barges were just offshore from us, so their speed was about two miles an hour. No, I didn’t calculate that, Don did. He said that at that rate, it would take them about ten days to get this far from New Orleans. We spent most of the morning doing some more cleaning and maintenance, had lunch, and then got in the truck and headed for Memphis.
The rain was still holding off pretty much, so we were able to do a moving tour of downtown Memphis without looking through raindrops. They were having a music festival this weekend, and there were a lot of people downtown, many of them dressed like it was the middle of summer. The older part of the city, where all of the historic music places are, was blocked off, and the parking lots were charging $20 for short term parking, so we kept going. We drove out to the east end of town, where there are a lot of really beautiful homes, and found a big park. While we were pulling into a parking spot, we saw a woman with five Yorky Yappers, all on leashes, and all running around like crazy, getting their leashes totally tangled. They had been out in the wet grass, and were all soaking wet; she was herding them over to her car, then loading them in while they yapped endlessly. I took pride in jumping down from my private compartment in the truck, following Don’s directions precisely, walking beside him and Geri, and chasing squirrels only when granted permission to do so. Leash? I don’t need no stinking leash! When we got back into the truck, we headed west out to a place called Germantown, because Don wanted to see it. I think he was secretly hoping to find a source for the German red cabbage that he loves so much. When we got there, he was disappointed to see that it was just another upscale suburb, with nothing German about it at all. While I’m thinking about it, I should say a few more words about Garmie. Now, I know she’s not human, or canine, or related to any of us in any way, but I think about her as a fellow traveler who is always with us and wanting to help in any way she can. While we were travelling around Memphis today, we were frequently consulting Garmie on which way to go to get us to a freeway, where to find something we were looking for, and how to get back across the river to home. She was very helpful and gave good, accurate information consistently, even though she hasn’t been updated in over a year. Don didn’t argue with her once today.
We stopped at a barbeque restaurant in West Memphis on our way home, and Geri and Don got some ribs and fixin’s for dinner. They really enjoyed it, and I got some super plates out of it. I say, let’s do it again! Our plans for tomorrow sound pretty simple; head west until it stops raining. Don says he wants to be in Tucumcari, New Mexico, as soon as possible. So, tomorrow we hit Highway 40 until we feel like stopping; don’t know where that will be, but I’ll surely be reporting it to you!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Day 70 – Memphis (West), AR
Wow, what a night! Remember I recently remarked on how Don takes his sleep time very seriously, nothing interferes with it? Well, scratch that. About three o’clock this morning, something very loud woke me up, and I looked around to find Don, so that he could reassure me that everything was OK. I saw that he wasn’t in bed, so I went into the living room to look for him. I found him sitting in his driver’s seat, with all the curtains on the windows open, sipping an orange juice. Outside, the world was coming apart. There were bright flashes of light all around the sky, and deep, booming noises coming one after the other. On top of that, there was the steady, heavy drumming of rain beating down on the roof of the coach. It could have been the end of the world, for all I knew. Don saw me standing in the middle of the room, and asked me to come to him. He petted me lovingly, and told me that everything I was seeing and hearing was very natural and beautiful, the flashes of light were lightning, which created the noise, called thunder. He said it was a great and wonderful spectacle that nature puts on for our enjoyment, and I should stay with him and watch it. I did, for awhile, and it was true that our location, with a wonderful view over the big river, gave us an excellent spot for watching the storm. Pretty soon, though, I was less afraid and more sleepy, so I laid down at his feet and zonked out. I think he stayed up the rest of the night watching the show.
When the sun came up, we didn’t know it. The cloud cover was very heavy, the rain was still beating down, and the thunder still rumbled from afar. We all knew that, at some point, I needed to go out for a walk. Fortunately, Geri and Don had brought my raincoat along, and Geri got me dressed while Don put on a plastic poncho. I was really relieved to get out of the coach for awhile, and went for a long run at the first opportunity. I ran so far that I could hardly hear Don screaming at me to come back. When I realized what he was saying, I turned and ran at him full speed, like I was going to run over him, but I stopped just short of him and rolled in the grass instead. He thought that was funny, so I ran off again until I got the urge to attend to business, which I did. Don had a heck of a time finding my business to bag it, but he was eventually successful. I had a couple of more rolls in my raincoat, which felt a little strange, but it was still enjoyable. Don made a strange remark about enjoying rolls in the hay with protective coverings that I didn’t understand, but he got a big laugh out of it. When we got back to the rig, Geri had decided that we needed to move to another site that we didn’t have so many puddles of water around it, and she called the Park Office to arrange it. We got assigned to a nearby site, and Don went through the routine of closing up the rig, disconnecting it, making the move, and setting it up again. It is a little drier, and closer to the river. Geri did some laundry, Don cleaned out the stash of obsolete touring literature, and we hunkered down while the rain continued to fall.
Later in the afternoon, when the rain had become just a constant drizzle, we got in the truck and went out to do some shopping. We went to a Sam’s Club and a WalMart, and they got a bunch of food and other stuff. All this shopping resulted in a late dinner for me, but that’s OK, I got some good plates from the frozen dinner they fixed. We’re hoping for some better weather tomorrow, but it doesn’t look that promising. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Wow, what a night! Remember I recently remarked on how Don takes his sleep time very seriously, nothing interferes with it? Well, scratch that. About three o’clock this morning, something very loud woke me up, and I looked around to find Don, so that he could reassure me that everything was OK. I saw that he wasn’t in bed, so I went into the living room to look for him. I found him sitting in his driver’s seat, with all the curtains on the windows open, sipping an orange juice. Outside, the world was coming apart. There were bright flashes of light all around the sky, and deep, booming noises coming one after the other. On top of that, there was the steady, heavy drumming of rain beating down on the roof of the coach. It could have been the end of the world, for all I knew. Don saw me standing in the middle of the room, and asked me to come to him. He petted me lovingly, and told me that everything I was seeing and hearing was very natural and beautiful, the flashes of light were lightning, which created the noise, called thunder. He said it was a great and wonderful spectacle that nature puts on for our enjoyment, and I should stay with him and watch it. I did, for awhile, and it was true that our location, with a wonderful view over the big river, gave us an excellent spot for watching the storm. Pretty soon, though, I was less afraid and more sleepy, so I laid down at his feet and zonked out. I think he stayed up the rest of the night watching the show.
When the sun came up, we didn’t know it. The cloud cover was very heavy, the rain was still beating down, and the thunder still rumbled from afar. We all knew that, at some point, I needed to go out for a walk. Fortunately, Geri and Don had brought my raincoat along, and Geri got me dressed while Don put on a plastic poncho. I was really relieved to get out of the coach for awhile, and went for a long run at the first opportunity. I ran so far that I could hardly hear Don screaming at me to come back. When I realized what he was saying, I turned and ran at him full speed, like I was going to run over him, but I stopped just short of him and rolled in the grass instead. He thought that was funny, so I ran off again until I got the urge to attend to business, which I did. Don had a heck of a time finding my business to bag it, but he was eventually successful. I had a couple of more rolls in my raincoat, which felt a little strange, but it was still enjoyable. Don made a strange remark about enjoying rolls in the hay with protective coverings that I didn’t understand, but he got a big laugh out of it. When we got back to the rig, Geri had decided that we needed to move to another site that we didn’t have so many puddles of water around it, and she called the Park Office to arrange it. We got assigned to a nearby site, and Don went through the routine of closing up the rig, disconnecting it, making the move, and setting it up again. It is a little drier, and closer to the river. Geri did some laundry, Don cleaned out the stash of obsolete touring literature, and we hunkered down while the rain continued to fall.
Later in the afternoon, when the rain had become just a constant drizzle, we got in the truck and went out to do some shopping. We went to a Sam’s Club and a WalMart, and they got a bunch of food and other stuff. All this shopping resulted in a late dinner for me, but that’s OK, I got some good plates from the frozen dinner they fixed. We’re hoping for some better weather tomorrow, but it doesn’t look that promising. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Day 69 – Memphis (West), AR
I told you yesterday that we were headed for Memphis today; well, I’m not quite a liar, just maybe a little misleading. We’re in a nice RV Park called Tom Sawyer’s, right on the bank of that same big river we stayed alongside of in Natchez, MS. We have an even better view of the river here than we did in Natchez, because there’s no levee in the way. There’s a lot of big grassy areas for me to roll and run in, and I think my walks will be more fun than they have been for the last few days. But getting here wasn’t a lot of fun, particularly for Don. Last night, the thunder and lightning was so strong that I kept Geri and I awake some of the night. The rain came down and beat on the roof so hard it sounded like rocks; it was raining cats! On top of that, Don had a coughing fit in the middle of the night, and it drove Geri onto the living room couch, which she folded out into a bed and tried to sleep on. Don, of course, slept soundly until seven, when he got up and looked at us like we were nuts. He takes sleeping very seriously, and doesn’t allow much of anything to bother him at night. But it was still raining when he got up, off and on. Geri asked him if he thought we should stay in Nashville for another day until the weather cleared, but he was determined to move on to Memphis. So, about ten thirty, we hauled out of Nashville and headed west. We were barely on the road before we were hit with a blinding rainstorm that definitely kept us in the slow lane. Between Nashville and Jackson, the rain was extremely heavy almost the full time, giving me nothing to look at out the window, so I went to the floor and napped. I was sleeping lightly though, so I could still hear Don’s comments on the weather. They weren’t what you could call nice. It started to let up just before Jackson, and we stopped there for a flawless refueling operation. It continued to improve as we neared Memphis, and we pulled into our new home in partial sunshine. But we just heard on the Weather Channel that Nashville has gotten over 2.5 inches of rain today, and the day isn’t over! It also looks like another storm will be moving through here tonight, and probably most of tomorrow.
After we got set up in our new Park, Don cooked up some salmon with tortelloni and pesto sauce, with a little spinach in balsamic vinegar on the side. I love the plates from that meal, though there usually isn’t much left on them. Geri took me for a very pleasant walk after dinner, and we met a lot of people who thought I was really nice. Very intuitive of them. Don spied on the guy next door, who was hooking up his car to his coach using one of those really nice hitches that mount on the coach and look really spiffy. He noted that the process took about twenty minutes, with both the guy and his wife working on it. Our hitch takes about five minutes for Don to hook up, by himself. He likes it, even though it isn’t the latest, trendy thing.
Don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, guess it kind of depends on the weather. We might have to hunker down like we did in Charleston that one day. See ya then!
I told you yesterday that we were headed for Memphis today; well, I’m not quite a liar, just maybe a little misleading. We’re in a nice RV Park called Tom Sawyer’s, right on the bank of that same big river we stayed alongside of in Natchez, MS. We have an even better view of the river here than we did in Natchez, because there’s no levee in the way. There’s a lot of big grassy areas for me to roll and run in, and I think my walks will be more fun than they have been for the last few days. But getting here wasn’t a lot of fun, particularly for Don. Last night, the thunder and lightning was so strong that I kept Geri and I awake some of the night. The rain came down and beat on the roof so hard it sounded like rocks; it was raining cats! On top of that, Don had a coughing fit in the middle of the night, and it drove Geri onto the living room couch, which she folded out into a bed and tried to sleep on. Don, of course, slept soundly until seven, when he got up and looked at us like we were nuts. He takes sleeping very seriously, and doesn’t allow much of anything to bother him at night. But it was still raining when he got up, off and on. Geri asked him if he thought we should stay in Nashville for another day until the weather cleared, but he was determined to move on to Memphis. So, about ten thirty, we hauled out of Nashville and headed west. We were barely on the road before we were hit with a blinding rainstorm that definitely kept us in the slow lane. Between Nashville and Jackson, the rain was extremely heavy almost the full time, giving me nothing to look at out the window, so I went to the floor and napped. I was sleeping lightly though, so I could still hear Don’s comments on the weather. They weren’t what you could call nice. It started to let up just before Jackson, and we stopped there for a flawless refueling operation. It continued to improve as we neared Memphis, and we pulled into our new home in partial sunshine. But we just heard on the Weather Channel that Nashville has gotten over 2.5 inches of rain today, and the day isn’t over! It also looks like another storm will be moving through here tonight, and probably most of tomorrow.
After we got set up in our new Park, Don cooked up some salmon with tortelloni and pesto sauce, with a little spinach in balsamic vinegar on the side. I love the plates from that meal, though there usually isn’t much left on them. Geri took me for a very pleasant walk after dinner, and we met a lot of people who thought I was really nice. Very intuitive of them. Don spied on the guy next door, who was hooking up his car to his coach using one of those really nice hitches that mount on the coach and look really spiffy. He noted that the process took about twenty minutes, with both the guy and his wife working on it. Our hitch takes about five minutes for Don to hook up, by himself. He likes it, even though it isn’t the latest, trendy thing.
Don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, guess it kind of depends on the weather. We might have to hunker down like we did in Charleston that one day. See ya then!
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