Colby, Kansas by default

Salina to Colby, Kansas on a smooth highway- a pleasant drive with a storm front to our left and blue skies to the right. We failed to outrun the winds and stopped in Colby for lunch. Cuz Donna called to say to avoid the Raton Pass because it was closed. That was a possible path two days ago. She must not be reading the Blog. Changes can occur with this outfit in 20 minutes. Everett Dirksen, after whom the Dirksen Congressional offices are named used to say "I am a man of principles and my first principle is flexibility." That caution from Donna caused me to fire up the computer which caught the Motel 6 WiFi network so I freeloaded and checked the NOAA weather site. Red flags all over eastern Colorado. Listened to the CB and the truckers were saying the road was closed from Limon and highway 400 was a mess.

I checked into Bourding's Depot Restaurant and Campground (on the honor system) wondering if I was going to have to cook dinner on the honor system as well. Walked the pups a few times had a leisurely shower in the campground bath house, got a free blow dry on the hair walking back to the camper, started a Jonathan Kellerman mystery, and tried to Blog on the campground WiFi but got dumped three (3!) times. So this is being transmitted by my trusty cell phone after 9 at night. I hate do-overs. Found where I had stashed my scanner and listened to the local HP's bust the passersby. Listened to the CB'ers warn about the cops. Pleasant afternoon.

Dinner and the restaurant held promise- the ideas are good, the realization incomplete. Still I was glad not to resort to my own devices and glad I experienced it.

The campground is starting to fill up. Spoke to my neighbor to the south a few minutes ago and complained of the chill wind. He said this was nothing! He had been in Wyoming! (groan, I did not want to hear that.) We gabbed a bit. He is from Shady Cove near Matt's home in Medford and they are visiting their son in Colby. Must be going around.

The weatherman says tomorrow will be better. If it is, we will make some miles.

Shirley Bourding at Home on her Ranges
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The Tea Room at Bourding's Depot Restaurant
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The Depot Restaurant in Colby, Ks
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I took this a year ago at Brainerd Cemetery. The Cemetery is right next to a rural High School and the students have done good work on its history.
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My great, great, grandparents, Celinda and Jefferson Saul buried in Brainerd Cemetery, near Wichita, Kansas.
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What a Difference a Day Makes...

...twenty-four little hours. Started my day griping to Jason and to Richard. Called "RV Adventures" to make sure they hadn't forgotten me and about 9:00 a.m. "Joey" showed up in a $200,000 Coach that he was checking out for a customer, with his ladder and some nylon tie straps. The wind was still whipping and we had a merry time unfurling the awning and furling it back up ( I suppose furl is a word, if unning it means anything). Joey got on his ladder and tied all the awnings up and I asked him to lead me to his place of business. This was prescient because the ties lasted all of five miles and my parachute was flapping again. Repeat, this time using my duct tape to keep the wind from getting inside the awning roll. Tooling in, Joey stops the rig he was driving- I stop and wait. Turns out the wind was so stiff it popped open the entry door on the $$$$ coach. (After we got to the shop in Wichita there were four more awning calls: one on a new coach and it was ripped completely off.)

You can't beat midwesterners for nice. Introductions: "This is Gene Housholder. He will be working on your coach." A work ethic. The awnings were fixed: The big one rewound and re-sprung, the little ones have awning straps now. Had the roof above the cab sealed, Joey knew where the diagnostic harness was and showed me.

Of course I had a little time to kill so I went inside every "for sale" coach on the lot, thinking a trade up or trade-off might be smart. Conclusion: The Elante suits me fine and if I have to put some more $$ into it I will still have more what I want and be money ahead by 10's of thousands. (I may regret those words- I am putting this in parentheses so the Fates can't hear them- except as prayer).

By four o'clock, we were on our way, the winds having died down and the sun shining and we were in Salina at a brand new Flying-J by dusk. Had dinner and found a treat for the pups. They really are the best dogs. They roll with the punches and trust me and I hope I never let them down. Buster still hates the leash but he minds pretty well and when his business is done he is the first one to load up. The Goodster is kind of frail but she is game as she can be and even decided to try a ride in the "Shotgun" seat this evening. Kansas has good roads, (even concrete ones) not like the "Sooner" state. I'd sooner be in Kansas than Oklahoma. Kansas has its own kind of beauty- just too much of it. Winds are supposed to be at the 16 m.p.h. level tomorrow, not the 40-60 level. Hoping for a pleasant drive.

A fine coating of dust on everthing today made me wonder how my great grandma and her mother coped with the housecleaning in Whitewater, KS in the late 1800's. I should whine. G,G, Gpa Jefferson Saul started from Whitewater to Wichita to get lumber for their house and ran over his kid Homer with the wagon. All survived but Jefferson drove all night because he was so worried about his boy at home.

Odysseus was blown by the winds to Newton, KS

Is it too much to hope for that two consecutive good days occur? Yesterday was a peach. Today had promise. The winds from the south were terrific on I-40 and for about 80 miles, the road so crappy that the dogs were traumatized and I was not doing much better. Any state doesn't keep their roads in better repair should not be allowed to have a vote in Congress. Concrete highways are an abomination. We are talking Arlington, Wyoming winds here. The total effect was like a Tilt-a-Whirl. Goody abandoned her perch, Buster kept trying to get on my lap. No rest stops, no shelter. Then I started hearing a KaWhap, KaWhap, and I thought I was shedding rubber. The little awnings on the driver's side would extend from the vacuum everytime a truck passed, then snap closed. I was waiting for a gust to get under them and tip us right over.

No way was I going the 285 miles to Amarillo in those conditions, so I turned my tail to it and went North to Wichita, Kansas. Progress was good with a tail wind and better roads. My tranny seemed to be running slightly warmer than usual. Then I remembered the old Motorhome would do the same with a tail wind. Construction in Wichita, crosswinds, tranny acting strange, so I pulled off at a rest stop near Newton, KS. (I think). Help is coming in the morning as the big awning has a big flap hanging down too. Hopefully we can preserve it and I will follow the service guy to Wichita and we will see what we can see. Odysseus is a little cross and out of sorts tonight. The winds are due to blow until Thursday so I plan no further progress until a cessation. Then, I head for home in a beeline. The adventures are growing a little tiresome. Will my faithful queen be fending off suitors in hope that I will return someday? Oops, that was the real Odysseus, mine jettisoned me ages ago. My faithful dog(s) is with me so (s)he will not be there to greet me. Perhaps the mice...

And a cute little piggy at that!
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Just walking my six dogs and the PIG!
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Best Blog Entry ever lost in Cyberspace!

Blogged last night and pushed the publish button and I evidently had been timed out here at the Flying J. All work vanished. The lesson: Be brief at Flying J. I am in Checotah, OK. After a good rest near Memphis and a sunshiny day traveling through Tennessee, beautiful Arkansas, and surprising picturesque Oklahoma we are about 115 miles from Oklahoma City and waiting to time our arrival there until after the morning rush. Guess I will save the rest so I have something to talk about later.

Met some folks who were crazier than I am last night. Really nice 5th wheel camper pulled in ahead of me. Out they came with 6 dogs and a pet pig! Furthermore they are truck drivers and take their vacation driving around with a camper and dogs. They have the back seat of their extended cab modified to make a bench and the piggy rides there. What a hoot. Pig is next! (Jokes, managing the doggies is enough of a challenge for me! )

Easter Sunday on Highway 87

Up way early, as I am still on Eastern Time and I am in the Central Zone. It is as if the people who plan Alabama highways looked for intersections and put up signs, saying, "Waal we do too got a highway!" 87 is a hodgepodge, Not really a treat. It goes through some nice country and when the 4 lane segments finally do connect in the year 2024 the present ones will be crappy. Real constrasts in the state because Birmingham is a beautiful town by skyline. Obviously some real wealth and economic vigor in a state that has over 50 percent of its children living in poverty. I am glad to be traveling in the south because Birmingham is still stuck in my mind in black and white with dogs and firehoses being set on Civil Rights marchers. It has come a long way and is muscular- things are happening here. Their roads are not good except near population centers.

We started out in overcast foggy weather and it deteriorated. I thought the real bad weather was past. Buster slept on top of me last night because of the thunder, goody at my hand. Past Tupelo I was starting to be pretty uncomfortable. The rain was driving hard and so were the church leavers. I found a service station with lots of parking and parked after having obtained "Barbecue with trimmings" although the language barrier made it hard. I got potatoes instead of sweet potatoes (Yams?") I asked if I should go to the next stall for the trimmings and the guy said yes, then moved to that stall to serve me. I asked for stuffing and he said "Sir? You mean dressing and gravy?" Whatever, and it shore was mighty tasty.

The churches are multitudinous. I don't know how they find the folks to fill the pews. Lots of denominations. Mighty edifices and modest churches.

Surfed the Net for weather forecasts and it all seems to be much better tomorrow. I had determined last night to go north to St Louis which is the pits to get through, instead of to Little Rock on I-40. This afternoon Little Rock looks better but I only drove 12 miles from where I surfed and called a few folks until I came upon this Flying J just outside Memphis, TN where the Wifi network is being employed even though I am in Verizon digital country. I had enough driving and bad weather for this day and will look forward to sunny and mild days as we go through Arkansas, Oklahoma and the panhandle of Texas in the next couple of days. Western Wyoming is supposed to get a snow job in the next couple of days but it may be rain in Riverton. It is raining again here, the furnace is on. Good decision to park it. I am tired.

Spoke to Jason and Lori and it was a hot summer day in Boca. They did the Easter Sunrise Service at a park near the beach, drank the mimosas, had a nap. The Jeep went Scuba diving yesterday and then there was a Lobsterfest using the lobsters the divers pick up in the course of a year. Jason and Lori went too. Sounds like fun.

Spoke to Matthew last night- all is well with Audrey and he is working at the Harley dealership many hours to help out some friends. Cheryl is doing well: I could hear her talking with a friend in the background. I am looking forward to meeting Audrey in the next few weeks. Oregon in April is wonderful to behold.

The doggies are zonked, and I think I will tidy things up a bit and bring out the long pants. Bought an umbrella in Clanton, Alabama this morning. There is a Baskin-Robbins across the street. Are those two statements random or connected?

The main drag in Eufalia, Alabama. There are soem great ante-bellum mansions as well as more modest homes along this road.
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Crossed the Tallahatchee Bridge

Where Bobbie Jo McCallister jumped and a mighty bridge it is, although I have no real idea if this is THE bridge. It's a SONG, not history. The River/reservoir is very large and the beautiful old town of Eufalia, Alabama is on this side of it. Driving across Georgia on highway 82 was a treat: to get off the interstate, to see towns, and trees, and hills and dales, swamps and fields, farms and churches and churches and churches- quite a few Psychic readers, too. I would recommend the road until you get to Alabama but by then you are stuck. It would be a piece of cake in a sedan.

It is truly Spring in Georgia and Alabama. Greening up nicely. Bedding plants in the stores and a whale of a thunderstorm tonight as we park at Wal-Mart in Clanton, Alabama, north of Montgomery and south of Birmingham. The doggies are nervous at my feet and panting, and I am not entirely sanguine as tornadoes and hail are definite possibilities according to the NOAA radio. I have the radio set to sound the alarm. We knocked off about 5:oo p.m. today as I-65 was jamming and crawling due to accidents and it was hot and we had a hard day yesterday. Just out of Verizon range so we are blogging at midnight after a nice long nap. Wally's wife, Marta, cooked tonight. Chicken and macaroni and cheese and fried okrah from the deli. All the mammals happy with dinner. Found some ripe plums, too. (and a Snickers bar)

Alabama is ''eye contact country." If you establish eye contact, you greet each other. I think this is rather nice. Many drivers seem to believe that a talent scout for NASCAR is out there looking for them, however.

I got confused (more than usual) today. Montgomery snuck up me. I stopped for gas and asked if I could park behind to do some map work. The more I worked the more confused I became. Went in and asked the clerk where the heck I was. "Montgomery," was the answer. Had to go east and south to pick p I-65 north. I would also like to find the traffic engineer who decided it was a good idea to surprise people with those signs on the pavement "must turn right," which you can't see until the car in front of you moves off it. I would cuff him about the ears and waist until he could neither walk nor hear. Off early tomorrow towards Memphis, TN, unless I change my mind.

Goober Country- Georgia

Here I am in the RV section of the Flying-J near Valdosta, Georgia- Exit 2 to be exact. We arrived about 6:00 p.m., gassed up, dined (gassed up) , fed the dogs some scrap chicken and their usual fare (gassed up), turned on the new fan to bring cool air in and the doggies are loving it. It is good to be stopped- a 12 hour grueling drive today. After the previously mentioned tribulations we went through a northbound crawl, stop-n-go-bumper-to-bumper for about 6 miles because a trucker jack-knifed his rig. Got on the CB to find out which lane I needed to be in in order to bypass Jacksonville, FL and get on I-10 to I-75 and to this place. Then unbeknownst to Garmin and me, the Exit Ramp to 295 was gone- under reconstruction. However, the detour was well marked and the Garmin did a quick recalculation and so we are here. On the way to Where? We don't really know. We have in mind to connect to I-40 after the Smokies, probably Memphis, and then go across OK and the skinny part of Texas and perhaps up to Denver and home or perhaps West to AZ depending on the weather in Colorado and Wyoming. Then, we will look westward to Oregon. Perhaps we will gussie up the VW bug a little- at least get new tires on her and haul that until we decide we shouldn't. May even take the Van to Oregon as I do know a pet-friendly motel there and it is only a two-hard -day-trip, with lots of hills and mountains. I am not 100% confident in this rebuilt transmission on the coach but it seems to be hanging in there. If not having an extended stay, driving this rig is an expensive mode of transport.

Goodie on Valium is a hoot. She relaxes and looks out the window. She smiles a lot. Doesn't get too uptight about every little bump and noise. Buster tends to stare at the ceiling. Definitely "stoner" behavior. She gets a half, he gets a quarter.

The people here are friendly and nice-very polite. It seems to me with my imperfect hearing, though, they are careless about their consonants if they exist at all.

Lesson learned: According to the truckers CB talk, I-95 on a Friday is bad news. Would I had known that before today.

Thar She Blows!

Tarnation, Queeg-Queeg, we are in the midst of a gale! This rest-stop is packed to the gills. The trip so far has been harrowing. 6:30 a.m just out of West Palm Beach a six car pile up in the inside lane right next to me. The darters were passing when they should have been watching. Some ding dong with PVC pipes sticking out of his boat trailer clipped my awning strut and swayed on down the road without a backward glance. Pretty nearly full highway both lanes and lots of construction. The highway was backed up several miles in the Southbound lane outside Port St. Lucie because a Van was on its top. I went through about 10 miles of stop and go because of "congestion from CR 400." There are signs along I-95 that say "Evacuation Route." Very apt because I about did four times!

Hard rain, big bolts of lightning. It is letting up a little. I may chance it. I would like to be in Georgia in time to catch the midnight train.

P.S. the Coastal RV guy was right about the roof needing to be resealed- unless the guy did some picking while he was up there.

Well I am a little calmer now, will try to see if we can make some headway, though the rain drops seem to be getting more intense again...will check the NOAA site.

Farewell, Sweet Prince, Farewell...

I will be leaving John Prince Campground today March 25. It has been a great stay in beautiful park. Saying goodby to the kids tonight at a farewell dinner at the Macaroni Grill was sweet and sad. Next year... or perhaps we will meet in Oregon. Saying goodby to my trusty Jeep: It has a good home and will be driven to Scuba diving occasionally. It will await my next Florida vacation.

It is time- it is a little hot for me-"unseasonably" (shouldn't that be unseasonally?- the weather folks don't think so) but where isn't the weather a little crazy these days? It has been a great run and I have learned a lot.

Spent an hour on the phone with Garmin and got the brains functioning. This technician was a peach.

The fan was installed and is a help- pretty fancy and powerful and pricey. Installers were genial and competent. The business owner is a good friend of the park superintendent who stopped by for a chat. He (Coastal RV Service guy) was just back from a trip to Holland with his Dutch wife and froze his patootie off. Told me I needed to seal my roof. ( eyes rolling in my head--I am sure he is right. more $$... but not too bad. Told me the stuff to use but I am not going on the roof of this baby on a bet. There are some things portly 61 year olds are not to do- that is one.)

Got the Jeep unloaded, and a lot of the stuff loaded. Just need to pull the plug and put away the TV dish, and we are off so I had better crash. Gave the dogs their first Valium installment so they have been resting just fine this evening. I looked at those little pills but said Naw, I don't need one.

Where is the time going, going, gone?

Monday,Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...
Monday I cleaned and tidied a bit after going to the Laundromat, per Mrs. Fish's plan. Even followed them there though they didn't know. "Go early before the Guatamalans and Haitians arrive," was her advice. This is not prejudice speaking, this is practical: They descend in groups and with loads of laundry, some heavily soiled as the jobs available for them involve labor.

Got the airconditioner in the Jeep tuned up- a very nice feature to have in Florida.

Monday evening I motored down to the Jason and Lori Roberts household for dinner. Lori is a gifted cook, just not her favorite thing to do. Glazed chicken breast- yummy, asparagus, salad, baked potato and cheesecake. I had brought a sampler cheesecake as the one the kids had left in my refrigerator had mysteriously disappeared. I can't imagine... But this new one practically disappeared, too. Must be something about Florida.

Tuesday was spent at Palm Beach Air- getting the coach air conditioner serviced. I arrived on time and was entertained the whole time. The owner and his dad did the work. Visited with the secretary Effie who was 80, had retired 6 times from work and went home at noon. I think she took a shine to me. Told me to come to see her next year. It took a long time as a lot was happening and the temperature was in the high 80's, the dogs were panting. The rear bumper had to come off, a door had to be removed and the air-conditioner disassembled. A motor mount had broken and that in turn triggered a heat protection device. A new bracket was sought, can not be found. The old one was welded. This is not the first time the air conditioner had been worked on. "Well-maintained" may well be the "spin words" for "fixed constantly." With all the time and labor I was getting very nervous about the bill. When he said $235.00 I nearly hit the floor from relief. Fired up the generator and cooled the dogs off all the way home to John Prince Campground.

The kids wanted to bring Kalina, Lori's cousin up for a picnic dinner at the park and they said they would bring shishkabobs to grill. Fine ones they were too- not those skinny things that are the norm. I had managed to slip to Publix for asparagus, and dip and chips, fruit salad and grensalad and macaroons and a picnic table cloth. Kalina is a pretty young woman-seems to run in that family. She is another one corrupted by Jason and Lori- she came for a visit a couple of years ago from Texas and decided Florida is where she wants to be. She is a teacher but wants to get out- perhaps become a Pilates Instructor. She has seen the extremes. Very low socioeconomic school in Texas and very affluent private school in a mostly Jewish enclave in Alligator Alley. We ate and talked until 9:30.

Wednesday was spent in conference with Garmin. The gigabyte detailed map card I had loaded at home no longer is recognized by the unit. I am not a happy camper without the Garmin fully functional. Grrr.

I am out of here Friday. Need to get a few more things done- a high volume fan is to be installed today if all goes as planned. Is that too much to hope for? We will see.

Great food, in great abundance. Some tastes new to me, most to my liking.
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The Lion Dancers take a bow.
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A big girl, Lori, gets a henna tattoo.
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A little girl gets an intricate design Henna tattoo. They wash off in a few weeks.
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Too busy to Blog: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Great day today but I better reconstruct the past few days first. Lori's brother and his friend left Thursday and so my poor kids had to turn their attention to the O.F. We dined Friday night at Romano's Macaroni Grill. Great food! Good wine, Goofy waiter-Luis by name who reminded me of the comedian Martin Short whan he does his eyes don't quite focus thing. I can drive and find things, now! Good thing because my boy, while game, was definitely played out. We met about halfway I guess. Romano's is a chain and a good bet if you ever need Italian fare or good meat.

Saturday, the kids wanted to come to the trailer park for a picnic- they said they would bring all but I slipped out for some snow peas and cut fruit before they got here. When they said they were bringing it all-they did! They brought me a Go Anywhere Weber Grill which is about as handy as a pocket in a shirt. No briquets but it gives a grilled flavor and it is virtually self-cleaning. Burgers and avocado, good tomatoes, etc., exotic cheese, fruit and veggies. We had a great meal and a walk in the park. Surprises in the refrigerator when they left. It was a Coach warming. Made me smile.

We tentatively decided to try out AsianFest in DelRay Beach today, Sunday, thinking it could be cool or not. We met one-ish at their favorite Goodwill store and motored in together. It was great. Sights and sounds and smells and tastes to delight. Dancing and music, booths, art, Kung-Fu dancing, a diverse group of nice people behaving friendly, freebies-I got a pen and a T-shirt. Jason hooked up with his co-worker and friend Mohendrin and his wife who guided us to the good food and were delightful people. Interesting that he is from Singapore and they had/have an arranged marriage and have four delightful children. It seems to work.

What Asians call lion dancing is done on pedestals, involves acrobatics, costumes, and guts and practice. It was amazing and amusing. The "Lions"- they look like dragons to me, scratched, and winked and wiggled their butts to the music between Cirque d Soleil moves. There were other acts too- traditional dancing and Bollywood dancing, Kung- fu, and some blondes- evidently you can decide if you want to be Asian and I was ready to sign up for the day. The people watching was great, the garb colorful. Great day.

I have appointments this week with everything from the laundromat to the air conditioner guy. Kids are busy too but we may find some time. We will just have to play it as lays. Certainly can't complain about anything, even if I were inclined to. I have learned a lot about a lot. Mr. Fish has been so helpful and, yes, he has learned by experience. His wife told me a tale from their earlier camping years about their awning falling off in transit and being mashed by a semi. Hasn't stopped them- they have done Alaska as well as other places. Mr Fish didn't meet his father until he was 50. He served in the Marines twice and got two GI bill stints which he used to become a Music teacher and basketball coach. Nice guy. His son from Atlanta was in town on business so they had a little visit, too.

Tonight I was sitting outside under where my awning should be and I heard music so I wandered up Apollo road and there was a white haired lady with glasses, playing her guitar and singing for her and her husband's enjoyment. Listened to "You Needed Me." and "Your Cheating Heart." Not professional but affecting. I enjoyed it. They invited me to sit but I looked at their aluminum chairs and know I have crumpled stronger ones than that so I just stood.

Nature confronts nature. Wild (sort of) Muscovy Duck and little girl.
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The protective coloration on this guy almost makes a chastity belt joke obligatory but I won't- thought it was cool to see him sunning himself.
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Wednesday and St. Paddy's Day

Rainy Days-but they are cooler days. Yesterday, I scouted out an Ace Hardware store because the wind knocked over my satellite dish and the arm broke. So I got some bolts and fixed it. Also decided the short old tripod was better so reassembled that. I have to get my creaky bones down on the ground to adjust it but that is better than fixing or buying new. The satellite is saving our sanity on this rainy day.

Also, Like a dutiful camper I checked the weather report and saw strong winds were forecast. So I tried to put my awning up. The Quebecois next door saw me struggling and offered to help. They could not get the release to work either so fetched their hammer. A couple of quick taps and a mighty SPROING! and the awning was useless. Mr. Fish to the rescue (You should have come to get me- they don't even speak English!) We rolled the awning up by hand. Found instructions to re-tension the springs on the Internet and Mr. Fish has done it but would rather not be responsible in the event of ruination. It is up and safe to be fixed later by a pro. I may do that before I leave here.

I am just not ready to leave and do not yet have a plan so I extended my stay to the 25th at which time the space is spoken for. So I must leave next Friday. Getting in here was a fluke this year and two area campgrounds are closing so I asked what the best strategy was: Come in December. As that was the plan for this year we will try that if the cost of gasoline doesn't make the whole thing prohibitive. And the wheels don't fall off the damn coach. I expected some things to shake out on the maiden voyage but this is starting to get annoying.

The thunderstorm was causing doggie anxiety so we had a dogpile on the couch and watched a Clint Eastwood movie- with the ape and the fighting and Jackson Hole. The thunderboomers are supposed to go away by 6:30 tonight but who knows. There was a sudden forecast revision as they arrived. Saw this morning that the Quebecois had things torn up and were drying things out so their camper must have a leak. Mr. Fish's vast knowlege also seems to have come by experience. These are not things discussed in Trailer Life Magazine.

I did get a few snaps during blue patches yesterday. I will post those. Meanwhile, we are warm and dry and well enough provisioned. Rich called and was making his way home from Douglas, WY and had been through blinding rain, snow and dust storms. He started Corned Beef and Cabbage this morning- a first for him and I hope it turns out. Would like to share it with him.

Campground Life- Doo,dah, doo, dah

Another day at home getting things worked out, figured out, messed up and put back together. Mr Fish, my neighbor, caught me out with the dogs at 6 a.m. He was out for a walk. Buster will tolerate the leash but he is not productive so 10 p.m. and 6 a.m under cover of darkeness we walk. Others stretch the rule a bit. There is a couple with a pair of Rhodesian Ridgebacks who unleash and play.

In an attempt to fend off the heat I decided to unfurl the awning. (Jason says this is summer weather, not typical.) Mr. Fish helped me with the awning before he and his wife left for the beach. He snorkels, she chats people up I am sure. The awning did knock a good five, maybe more, degrees off the interior temperature. Nobody uses their air conditioner. Mr. Fish says the juice in the park is a little on the low side and a sure way to shorten your compressor's life.

The awning provided shade as I set up a new tripod for the Satellite dish. The first time is the worst time, I hope. The rig came with a meter but I kept finding the wrong satellites, and Bill DeMille's nephew, the electronic genius, had wired the thing so that any number of combinations of switches can be thrown to work off VCR, Satellite, or antenna. Which is just wonderful if you know the right combination. This was an off and on project all day long. Success by dusk. I am grateful to be beyond the insipid local programming and news. Watching a cowboy movie.

News from home in the form of e-mails, 9 degrees above 0, snow, blizzard. Maybe if I drive to Mississippi I can find a happy medium. It is 79 degrees at 10:30 p.m. in Lake Worth. A little ccoler than last night when I decided to take a tepid shower at about this time. The bathhouse is great. Individual shower/ dressing rooms, clean restrooms and quite a unique feeling for me to be strolling down the lane in my walking shorts and a towel at 10:00 p.m. Really quite nice to be strolling in the moonlight after a shower.

Jason called and invited me to go along to Fort Lauderdale to a restaurant. I declined for cause of a drive at night and Lori's brother's time here is short-he deserves his sister's and Jason's undivided attention for a day or two. It was nice to be asked, though.

Cuz Donna called and she is going to see cousin Eddie in Overton, NV over spring break.

Tomorrow or Thursday I will take a trip to the Loxahatchie Wildlife Refuge. Mr Fish says it is worth the trip. Good to have an experienced camper for a neighbor.

A White Ibis dining at dusk.
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One of my neighbor's carefully nurtured orchids.
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The view from Jason and Lori's West balcony: the water cop is on the beat.
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A view from Jason and Lori's East, Atlantic side, balcony
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Sunday and Monday

Sunday morning was spent with pictures and a few were sent. Wal-Mart on Old Boynton Beach Highway got a visit, the I Jeeped down to Jason and Lori's. Lori took a spill on Saturday and managed to bang herself up from stem to stern. She was napping so Jason and I enjoyed his views and watched the Water Cops pull people over for speeding. Then we went down to DelRay Beach for another al fresco dining experience at JB's. We knew it was Spring Break before we got within a mile. The traffic was jammed but we got into JB's. We had a breeze that was a mite chilly but the food was good. My kids and I like to order appetizers to sample many tastes. We had lollipop chicken wings, and spinach dip with tortilla chips before we went our separate ways on ordering (and sharing some more). I wanted to drive in the light as much as possible so I scooted. I do feel like I have my bearings now. I can find a lot of places and more importantly I can find the main arterials that will get me home or to Jason's.

Big week for company for them coming up so we have no plans for a few days. I just hope they can get some rest too. They blew their weekend entertaining the O.F. Not that they didn't have some fun too but it is not recharge time when you are charging.

Monday, I spent at home. I went to the office to take care of my bill for extending my time, took a walk around the park, tidied a bit, fought with the vacuum cleaners, had the air conditioner guys come for a consultation. It was hot and muggy today and keeping me and the doggies cool became the point of part of it. Took a siesta. Surfed the net. Got some and sent some Emails. Took some flower pictures for the neighbors, and some bird pictures for me. There are a lot of French speaking people here as well as other nationalities. Quite a few Canadians. Many people come year after year to their same spots.

See a better mix in these few days-old and young as the long-timers are coming to the end of their 100 days limit. The oldsters are pretty vigorous, I have to admit. Something to shoot for. I find the hunch in my back from shivering is relaxing and the warmth makes it easier to walk and do things.

Dinner was a Swanson's Turkey dinner, $1.50 and just the sort of thing to give my digestive tract an easy day. No tip, no tax. The doggies enjoyed my company and I theirs.

"Show a little leg honey." Fun with a camera phone on Palm Beach
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Steamship off the coast of Florida
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A view from Two Georges restaurant.
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Would You Buy a Gin and Tonic from this Person?
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I Got the Concert, the CD and the T-Shirt!

We set out for a late lunch on Saturday. Jason chose "Two Georges" restaurant on the Intracoastal waterway. It is on a pier, funky, wildly popular and a great place to be on a beautiful day. We watched the boats pull in and out, had a couple of cocktails while waiting for a place and got into the entertainment part of the restaurant. A pudgy, regular looking guy was playing a mean guitar and singing the songs of Clapton, Beatles, Marvin Gaye, James Taylor, and a host of others I know SOME of the words to.

Jason knew to order Spring Rolls and Conch fritters for appetizers as we had another drink (only the two but they were good ones!) and ordered blackened Grouper sandwiches. Anyway I REALLY got into it. Loved the music, the company, the crowd, the place, the open air, the boats. I was ready to take up residence. The singer was hawking his own CD's so I got one for Jason and Lori and one for me. The acid test will be how they sound without a couple of gin and tonics but I know how to fix those! On the way out Jason handed me a Two Georges Staff T-shirt. After that, we drove up A-1-A to Palm Springs. looking at the terrific mansions and the sea, through tunnels of vegetation. A great afternoon- they brought me home for a little rest about 7:00 pm. The kids helped me walk the dogs and I hope they got some rest after that.

A surreal moment occurred when my brother Rich called. I was on the beach in Palm Springs taking pictures and he was on an oil well site in Lysite, Wyoming with his girlfriend waiting for a couple of shy bladders to work. Valerie's company does drug testing and there had been an accident the day before so she was testing the whole crew. Cold and snowy in Lysite, blue and balmy in Palm Springs.

The Garden in my back yard at John Prince Campground.
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The Met-Life Blimp beyond the dog walk area in my front yard.
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John Prince Campground

Thanks to good guides, the move from Pahokee to Lake Worth went like clockwork. We were in and connected by 11:00 a.m. yesterday. We needed to shop as Pahokee was dismal in that department. It took until nearly 3:00-I had forgotten how complicated that can be in an urban setting- particularly an unfamiliar one. Wal-Mart had a good array of "Florida appropriate" shorts and shirts for very little $$. I replaced the "too much information" shorts I had bought in Riverton with some that can go to restaurants.

We are living in space 141 at the corner of Apollo Rd and Allegro Rd. Might be more appropriate to be called "Methusaleh Lane" and "Easy Does It Road" although one does see young people occasionally. There are 265 spaces here. It is beautifully landscaped, on Lake Osborne, gated, and next to Palm Springs Airport. Some folks might object to the noise of a small airport but I love it as I see all kinds of small aircraft, helicopters, and the Met-Life Blimp is tethered right across the fence. The Honda Classic Golf Tournament is in the area this weekend.

The Pet-walk is right across the road which is good because walking Buster on a leash is like playing with one of those paddles with a ball on a rubber band. He gets better day by day though. He tries so hard to please. He is using his injured foot more. That is good. Goody is an old hand but she is not exactly enthusiastic about a leash. We fudge late at night but they seem serious about their leash law here. We were first out this morning and it went pretty well. Luckily we beat the lady from Toronto who walks her cat on a long string. Could have been pretty interesting.

Jason had to work late last night so I Jeeped down to meet them and actually find the Hops Restaurant, dining fashionably late. As Circuit City was open until 10:00 pm, always a risky place for a gadget freak, we peeked and I actually did pretty well, considering. How about a 5 band AM-FM/weather radio/LED flashlight/emergency flasher/siren/weather alert/cell phone charger/that runs for 60 minutes after you crank the dynamo for 2 minutes?

There is activity by the Blimp-off to watch. I have loved blimps since WWII when we lived in New Jersey and saw them often.

Fair Weather, Friends and Busy Day

The rain went North. A pleasant day- a bit windy in the early morning. The Ohio neighbors packed it in and headed for Ocala where they will visit and watch some motorcycle races. They were very nice people. I am glad we spent a little time together. I gave them some pictures and some plates and pop-I was reduced to buying Pepsi before I finally located some Cokee in Pahokee.

Somewhere, somehow, my left rear fender skirt took a whack from something-I know not how or when. So I had some repairing to do. It took a trip to the hardware store for drill and screws, and plumber strap for a makeshift brace. Already had 100 mile an hour tape and duct tape. I made a pretty good repair, I believe, and it does not reek of "reservation repair" if you know what I mean. An eventual replacement item but I don't have six weeks to wait for parts like I had to last time. They have obviously been worked on before-Bill DeMille said a blowout knocked this one completely off before when I asked about a mended place. Perhaps a design flaw or a road hazard or a nut loose behind the steering wheel.

Spent some time at Milo Doebler's, next door. His coach was custom designed for his handicap and is a dandy. To boot his mother, Fern, has macular degeneration so he has a magnifying reader. She had used it to write a letter to somebody. Looked a good job to me. We compared notes on genealogy and his techniques using Paintshop Pro. His pictures of course invited discussion and I enjoyed looking at them. I love hearing people's stories.

Gussied up a bit and Jeeped off for Palm Springs to meet up with Jason and Lori. They sweetly offered to haul me back here to make negotiating the traffic to John Prince campground easier tomorrow. Jason bought dinner at Park Avenue Barbecue and we made little piggies of ourselves- corn fritters and BBQ samplers of deeeelicious ribs and pulled pork, beef, chicken and trimmings. Had plenty to go in the go- boxes and the doggies benefited from mine. A very nice time and they showed me some alternative routes to the future campsite. They are considerate of the old guy.

The NPR stations here feature a lot of classical music and the bedroom stereo has been on 24/7. Very pleasant background music for the vistas of Lake Okeechobee. Buster seems to gravitate to it. Who knew the reservation dog was a poet?

These off-road days have allowed us all to recharge our batteries and the Coach is starting to feel like home with favorite places, little routines, and the unraveling of all of her intricacies. We will have good memories of this place even though our opinion of Pahokee, the city, is lower than catfish doo-doo. The brave souls who stick it out deserve an award. Perhaps that is what visitors to my neck of the woods think. hmmm.

The view from my bedroom window. A few whitecaps on this rainy day. Did laundry, surfed the Net, ordered out from Jellyroll's Restaurant (Frito baked Casserole) and had a nap.
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Lunch in Lake Worth with a charming Woman

Pahokee is about 90 minutes from Jason and Lori in Boca Raton. This is a little far but was the best I could find. Lori located a county operated RV park in Lake Worth which is about fifteen miles from Boca. Jason made reservations but because I was booked in here non refundable I changed them and was really wanting to see how I could approach the park in a city and what the layout was. So I Jeeped in and Lori and I met at John Prince Park about 11:00 a.m. GOOD THING! They had me assigned to a too short space and in 2008. We scouted the park and braced the formidable Loretta. She was finding nothing on the sites we knew would fit. Lori played good cop with her-turned on the southern charm. Loretta was saying one of them was booked until the 15th and a man behind us said "That is my spot and I am leaving Friday." So we were in! We will be there through the 21st.

We scouted the approaches and decided we were workable. Then we went to the Olive Garden for a great lunch. Lori is a delight. Excellent company. I got insight into their busy lives. People like to come to Florida. Lori's brother and his girlfriend will be in town next week. Their friends Arlen and Stephanie and child and nanny will be in town the next weekend and some other friends are on their way. I am glad to know so I can plan accordingly and being in closer will allow me some urban exploration time.

Lori brought my mail.

I got back to Pahoke about 3:00 and the gas man drove up to deliver propane to my neighbor Milo who was also away for the day so I paid for his propane. We have gotten to know each other. He is a paraplegic for more than 40 years, had a career with GTE and is traveling with his 94 year old mother and a Yorkie. His van and motorhome are equipped with hand controls and elevators. He does it all. He is also a genealogist and has scanned the family pictures and likes computers. I loaned him my computer so he could test the aircard internet service while I was away. The other neighbor was out of small change and needed propane too so I loaned him some money. I am sure I will get it back in both cases but Milo and his mom are seriously overdue so I am getting a little worried about them, Propane is $2.75 a gallon here. Yikes!

Spent the afternoon, puttering-still getting things fixed just the way experience and convenience dictate. Yayy Velcro!

I am seriously thinking of jettisoning the Jeep. I am suspicious the extra load strained the transmission. Bill Demille, the man I bought the rig from said he towed his Cadillac with it but that too may have put a strain on it. Jason would kind of like to have a Scuba diving vehicle so we are discussing options. Having a vehicle here to use when I am in the area would be a better arrangement than hauling it all over, also. As Wal-Marts meet most of my shopping needs as well as accomodations in transit, the tow car might be redundant. Hmmm, mull, mull, mull.

Just walked the doggies and the wind is blowing up whitecaps and pretty good waves here on Lake Okeechobee. Spray on the legs. Milo's lights are on and his Van is here so that is a relief. Watching the tube, with one eye, listening to NPR with one ear and typing with three or four fingers. We are cozy and in for the night. Calls from Jason and Richard. Good to hear their voices.

One of my fowl neighbors: a Great Blue Heron. I used Susie's gift of a Peterson Field guide to identify this guy. He hung around all day.
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Sunset on Sunday after Jason and Lori left.The neighbors had a little fire in the rocks. Goody is loving it here. She luxuriates in the grass and smiles.
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Son Jason and his wife Lori came up to Pahokee for a visit. We had a relaxing day and took a drive to South Bay for lunch. South Bay is not as cool as it sounds but we had a good meal. The order was taken, cooked and cashiered by the same lady at Terry's cafe. Was that Terry?
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Catching Up

Rather than do the day by day, I will catch you up and continue on.

Where I left off was with a slipping transmission and Wal-Mart in Jackson, Missisippi. I called my towing insurance and they arranged a wrecker. I was not going on the highway with the possibility of a total breakdown. This rig requires the bumper to come off to be towed and we decided to chance it. Wrecker driver drove the rig, his assistant drove the wrecker with the lights flashing and I drove the Jeep making a modest parade to Buck Sullivan's repair shop where we were allowed to drive into the yard and wait from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. I noticed a television crew interviewing somebody across the street. A young fellow came over and told me a 17 year old girl had been mauled by a vicious dog the day before. This kid put me in mind of dueling Banjoes. Then he says, "Well I guess I'm going to take a ride." In he hops and dogs and Coach disappear. Then he comes back and says the transmission has a problem. (Do Tell!) He commences to take the doghouse (engine cover inside the cab) off, giving me ample evidence that he does not favor underwear, poh-leece, and his boss Cedric. He has a date with an attorney at 5:00 p.m. Cedric will hold it over him if he knows, etc., etc. Turns out Buck Sullivan's refers to Mr. Transmission for transmission work. After a day in in the yard we are escorted to Mr. Transmission and spend the night locked inside razor wire and no way out. We were just glad to be safe and warm.

Larry, the manager, of Mr. T's turns out to be a prince. (That is my temporary opinion depending on the good functioning of the transmission.) They pull the transmission first thing in the morning relying on my coach jacks to get under the vehicle. They call me in for a consultation on the bill and some options (GULP) what's a fella to do? I did opt to replace some OEM aluminum parts with steel at some additional cost. Getting close to 4:00 p.m. the transmission is ready for a test drive. Something is still goofy but it is better. Larry asks if I can stay over another night. I can. Next morning a new wiring harness is attached to the transmission and it passes test one, and test two by two different drivers. I am good to go.

A note about Black people in Jackson. Cedric, is black and manages the affairs of Buck Sullivan's l with military precision and a nice manner with employees and clients. This is a major operation with lots of fleet work. Larry's number two man at Mr Transmission is Black and he and Larry make a great team and like each other based on the laughing that came from under the rig while they were working. I don't think it is the old Mississippi any more..not that there aren't some rednecks left and some trashy people of all colors- just like at home and everywhere.

To add insult to injury, we had only the cellphone quick connect to access email and the web. No blogging at 14.4 kps! This is how we fell behind.

We made it to Gulfport, MS by lunchtime, stopped at Wal-Mart to stock up on some items in short supply and travelled on to DeFuniak Springs Florida, driving in the dark more than we ever intended. Rich called while we were in Wal-mart there and we let him know we were rolling again. It is nice to know somebody is looking out and wondering even if he did ask me to tell him again how much I was saving on lodging after I paid for the transmission!

Florida is wide at the top and long. We had not been down I-75 so opted for that- three lanes all full for most of the way. We stayed in Ocala, Fl where a Wal Mart used to be. It was a little lonesome there but there was a great Chinese takeout place and we indulged.

The next day we made it to Fort Myers and turned left. We drove through miles of citrus plantations and bedding plant greenhouses and small towns some prosperous and some very poor. We made it to Pahokee on Lake Okeechobee where we have been since. The campground is great. The town is is very poor, migrants, poor blacks, and poor whites. The country is very rich, fertile, huge fields of black earth as far as you can see. At last we are in or near the tropics.

Civil War Cannons. Can you imagine toting these things? The Commemorative Arch is in the background. The park is quite large and can be driven through. There are lots of memorials, markers and battle sites described.
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Diorama of an Officer's tent, desk, chair and boots- all genuine Civil War artifacts
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Battlements at Vicksburg
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The "Fair Elante'" gets a lube job from Kevin Stetler and an off-duty UPS guy. Stetler's is agreat place- right across from WalMart of I-20 in Shreveport, Louisiana.
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