Getting a Late Start

When we got up this morning the ground was snow covered but the temperature was about 34 degrees. We took our time eating breakfast and then preparing to leave. By 9am we were ready to go when Tom noticed that we had a flat tire on the car. Oh,my! Well the spare was put on and we left the campground hoping to find that the local Flying J or Bp stations were equipped to repair the tire. We stopped at the Flying J to fill up with gas but were referred to the Bp station for the tire repair. So it was after 10:30am before we were back on the interstate traveling southwest. We drove through rain all morning. The countryside was not snow covered as it had been yesterday. This was a postive sign for us that we were in warmer areas. The motorhome today was noticeably warmer and more comfortable than yesterday. We traveled through Tennessee stopping at a campground in Chattanooga about 4:30 this evening.
Quietly, we will (or maybe not) see the New Year come in. And tomorrow when all those football games are being played we will be moving down through Alabama after skimming through a corner of Georgia.

On the Road to Warmer Weather

The day to get underway and head for warmer winter weather arrived. We left the house at 9:00am to very very cold temps. In fact it was so cold the heater in the motorhome really didn't keep us very warm for most of the day.

At the West Virginia reststop, yes there are still some still opened, Travis jumped off a chair and hurt his right rear leg. He is not putting any weight on it. If it is not better in the next few days, we will have to find a vet and have his leg looked at. We are hoping he just sprained it.

We have stopped for the night at Fort Chiswell, Va. and are planning to get to Alabama tomorrow. The weather report is for freezing rain changing to rain in the morning. If things are too bad, we will stay here for another day.

We had to contact our son because we left several items in the refrigerator at home and have him stop by and take care of them.

Preparing to Travel

Preparations are well underway to head for warmer weather. It is so cold and windy today that we are quite anxious to make our get away. We had several issues that kept us from setting a definite date until they were resolved. Our health insurance provider was changed so we had to be sure we had our new cards in hand before leaving. I had a questionable medical test that needed further evaluation. Our insurance cards arrived and my medical re-evaluation returned normal so we are now good to go. We plan to leave tomorrow morning making our way southward. We probably will not be able to break the motorhome's winterization until our second day due to the cold weather.

Travis Update

We have received the final report on Travis' liver biopsy. He has a mild lymphoplasmacytic cholangiohepatitis which is an inflammatory condition of the liver that could result in fibrosis of the liver. The copper level was normal. He will be treated supportatively with prednisone and ursodiol to reduce the inflammation. Denamarin and Vitamin E will be used to aid inflammation reduction and oxidation of the liver. Taking pills is not a pleasant thing for the poor little guy and pushing pills down his throat is not pleasing to me but we do what we have to do.

Regrouping After the Storm

A winter storm at this holiday time can really wreck plans. We had been invited to a Christmas party on Saturday evening that was called off and then today (Sunday) we were to have a family get together at my brother, Larry's,that was postponed. Oh my, how to reschedule when so many other things are going on in everyone's life!! Well, the Saturday party may be on Wednesday evening. And after talking with family we will be together during the day Christmas eve at Larry's. It is easy when everyone values being together.
Tom spent several hours this morning with the snow blower cleaning out our driveway and walkways plus a neighbors driveway. According to the report in the paper we had about 17.5 inches of snow, quite a snowfall for this area. Taneytown has not done a very good job of clearing the streets. There were 6-7 inches of snow on the roadways today that I'm sure has gotten icy tonight as the temperature dropped. I hope tomorrow plows get out to clear the streets.

The BIG One Arrived…

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Well, all the weather reports were right, we got hit with the big one.  We have anywhere’s from 18 to 24 inches of snow.  All of the local television stations had there news teams on most of the day to cover the snow storm.  After several hours you get tired of hearing the same thing being repeated again and again.

This afternoon I fired up the snowblower and worked on the walkways and the driveway so it will not be so much to tackle tomorrow when the snow is over.  Now I hope the wind does not get up over night and cause a lot of drifting.

All of the events we were planning to attend this weekend were cancelled. 

It Looks Like the Big One is on the Way Here....

The weather reports for the last several days have been saying we might get a little bit of snow this weekend. Yesterday the reports changed to us getting a 6 to 8 inch snow fall. Overnight the reports changed to between 10 to 18 inches with winds up to 35 mph, nice. Its looking more and more like the BIG snow storm is on the way.

I moved the snow blower out of the storage shed, gassed it up, started it and parked it under the deck by the basement door so I won't have to tromp through the snow to get to it Saturday morning. I guess I know how my day is going to be spent.

We have three different Christmas activities scheduled for Saturday. One has already been cancelled and the other two probably will be cancelled as well.

This afternoon Leah and I went to see the movie "The Blind Side." It had a very good story line and was a very enjoyable movie. We recommend it to everyone.

Preliminary Report of the Liver Biopsy

Dr. Jacob, veterinarian internal medicine doctor, called last evening with the preliminary report of Travis' liver biopsy. It appears that Travis has a hepatitis that has been caught in the early stages. He will be treated supportively at this time. A final report should detail any other problems that are present and should be available within the week. Our worse fear was some end-stage liver problem but that does not seem to be at this time. We are hopeful that we will have our little buddy with us for a long time.

Travis' Liver Problems and Family Time

Yesterday morning we had to take Travis down to the Towson area where he had previously been seen by an internist. The internist was to perform a liver biopsy on Travis. It was hard to walk out of that strange place leaving our little buddy behind. Late afternoon we were able to pick him up after the biopsy had been done and he had been observed for a period of time. The biopsy will be sent to Denver and we should know the results by next Wednesday. Travis was very quiet and subdued all evening and night after getting home. We tried to keep him from going up and down stairs and jumping up on the bed or chairs. Today he is beginning to seem more like himself.
We had a December family birthday celebration today. Maddy, our granddaughter, has a birthday on Monday, Beth, our daughter-in-law, birthday is the 23rd and Tom's the 29th. We took everyone to a greenhouse operation that sells pointsettias at this time of the year. Beth is such a lover of plants that we wanted her to get some pointsettias as part of her birthday present. The inventory was beginning to get somewhat low but we were able to find some beautiful plants to decorate our homes. Afterwards we returned back home for lunch and play time with baby Parker. It was a nice family day.

Baby Sitting Parker

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We have been in Virginia this week baby sitting.  Our son had to go out of town on business for the week and our daughter-in-law had to go into work.

In addition to looking  after Parker we also have our older grandson, Anthony.  Anthony is in school everyday, so we only see him for a little while in the morning and in the evening after school.  It has been a good week for us here and we have really enjoyed baby sitting.

Spending Time with Baby Parker

We have been getting in some baby time with Parker. About 2 weeks ago Beth, mommy to Parker, had to go out of town. Tom and I came down to Virginia to keep Parker while daddy, Todd, worked. This week Todd had to go out of town so we are watching Parker while Beth works. Big brother Anthony gets looked after before and after school, also. I've come to the conclusion that Parker is a little bit spoiled and knows just how to squawk in order to get his way and we are as accommodating as we can be, especially when he gives us that dear little smile. He is a charmer. After the first of the year Parker will be going to a babysitter. And hopefully, we will be going to warmer weather in the southwest. Sure will miss Parker!

Parker Comes for Thanksgiving!!!

 

Our grandson, Parker, came to visit us on Thanksgiving Day.  Oh, he also brought his mom and Dad along with his sister and brother.  I guess he needed to bring mom and dad along because he is not old enough to drive and he could not leave his sister and brother home alone.

 

This year we decided to deep fry the turkey.  We have been hearing for years how good deep fried turkey is so we decided to give it a try as we have the required equipment for the task.

We had looked at various videos on how it was done and felt we were up to the task. After getting the oil hot and slowly lowering the turkey into the hot oil, all we had to do was watch and wait the required amount of time. After removing the turkey, we fried some breaded oysters as well.

From 2009-11-26

As with all thanksgiving meals, we had way too much food and it all tasted great. It just makes us stop and think how blessed we are to be able to have food like this and to share it with our loved ones.

We had a very nice day with Todd, Beth, Maddy, Anthony and Parker and was sorry when it was time for them to make the trip back home.

We hope all who reads this blog also had a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Travis' Problems Continue

Tuesday Travis spent the morning at the veterinarian's office having bloodwork done to see if the medication he was placed on about a month ago is having any affect on him. The bile acid was slightly reduced but still very high and the other studies showed little change. Our vet was sending the results to the vet internist we had seen for further recommendations. It is real puzzling as Travis is not showing any outward signs the there is anything wrong. He continues to enjoy walking which we do every day that the weather allows. He gets his little bursts of energy and runs at full speed about the house. And his appetite is good.

Where Has the Time Gone

I can't believe it has been a week since I last posted. The internet hookups has been poor so posting has been next to impossible.
Last Tuesday we spent the day walking the beach. We did go out for a late lunch at the K & W cafeteria which we enjoyed. We watched the rollback dumpsters with the horsewaste being loaded on trucks and hauled out of the campground.
On Wednesday we packed up and left Myrtle Beach driving mostly on route 17. We stopped for the night at Green Acres Campground in Williamston, North Carolina. It was a fair campground. The interior roads were packed sand and and very "dippy".
Thursday we continued on north to Fort Whaley Campground in Whaleyville, Maryland. We had traveled up by way of the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel. We were meeting up with the Traveling Americans (TA) camping club for a weekend rally. There were several TA folks already in the campground and more came after us. We went out to eat as a group to a local restaurant that had a special Thursday night $5.00 burger night. The place was packed but in a fairly short time all 20 or 22 of us were seated.
On Friday the remaining TA folks came into the campground making 15 units altogether camping. We were all parked in fairly close proximity to each other. Again we went out to dinner but this time into Salisbury. Reservations had been made and about 26 went to dinner. A few other folks made other arrangements for dinner.
Tom and I along with another couple, Dave and Libby Hagan, served as hosts for the weekend. Saturday morning we fixed a breakfast of fruit, Danish pastry, English muffins, baked oatmeal and coffee and orange juice. For dinner Libby made a pasta dish and I made barbeque with others bringing potluck dishes of salads, vegetables and desserts.
Sunday morning we had potluck for breakfast. We do eat good at these rallies! The rallies go from Friday evening until Sunday morning. Some of the folks left Sunday but others of us stayed until Monday or later.
Today we came home. We have several things that need to be repaired on the motorhome- an awning was damaged at the Samboree in Frederick, a heat pump is not throwing out heat or cold and our brake buddy stopped working. Since our motorhome will probably need to be away for repairs and the weather could get cold we needed to move things out of the motorhome that could freeze. It was a busy afternoon.

A Quiet Monday

Oh, how quiet the campground is today after the events of the past several days! We walked out on the beach this morning. There were no horses on the beach- just a couple of fishermen and a tractor pulling an apparatus that was raking through the sand. One fisherman had a blue heron standing a short distance behind him waiting for breakfast. Even though the day was cloudy and cool it was enjoyable to walk along the beach.
Tom and I went to the "Broadway at the Beach" shopping at some of the stores and then eating lunch at Landry's Seafood Restaurant. After returning to the campground we took a quiet walk around the campground. Travis just loves walking and sniffing.

Peace and Quiet

Yesterday was another day of much activity in the campground and on the beach. In the morning a 20 mile beach ride took place. Many riders returned to the campground looking like contestants for wet t-shirt contests due to the rain that started after their departure from the campground. In the afternoon/evening Halloween activities with trick or treating and decorating contests were held. There seemed to be some real partying going on but by 11pm all was quiet.
This morning there was again alot of activity as the horses were loaded, some reluctantly, on their trailers to head back to their homes. By noontime, the campground was about back to prehorse arrival status. The campsites where the horses had been were cleaned-up and very little evidence of the horses' presence could be seen. According to the local newspaper there were about 1000 horses and riders involved in this event.

A Parade and a Wedding

Another nice day although a few more clouds and a little cooler than yesterday. After a beach walk we went to Sam's Club to get my sunglasses repaired. A screw holding the earpiece on came out and Tom tried but couldn't get it back in. Then we drove down to Murrell's Inlet and had lunch at a restaurant, Dead Dog Saloon, that had an outside deck where we sat.
After returning to the campground there again was a flurry of activity as preparations were being made by the horsemen for a parade through the campground. When we walked to the end of our street to find a place to sit and watch the parade we were surprised to see the street lined with spectators on golf carts and chairs. The parade was something to see. I knew there were a number of horses in the campground but I was still surprised at the number in the parade, and not all the horses were in the parade. Many were in costume. The cutest was a horse that had dog ears, a big puffy band of "fur" around each leg appearing as a poodle with the female rider dressed in her poodle felt skirt, they won first prize.

From 2009-10-30

There were other clever get ups- unicorns, an orca whale, Indian war horses to name a few.
Afterwards we walked around the campground being careful not to get run over by a horse or golf cart.




Travis has not been bothered by the horses or they by him. Many of the horses are use to the presence of dogs as dogs are at the campsites with the horses and most are never on a leash, even though rules state that they are to be so. As we were walking we noticed a gathering of horseback riders on the beach and then realized that there was a wedding being preformed with the bride and groom on horses. The attendants (a best man and "man" of honor)were also on horseback and the officiating minster was on one of the decking structures that is used to cross over the dunes to the beach.

From Beach Wedding

Throughout the day horses can be heard whinnying in the campground. Once darkness sets in the horses become quiet and their presence is unnoticed.

A Beautiful Day in Horse Paradise

The weather has been getting better each day. Yesterday we broke out our shorts as the temperature was in the lower 80's even though it was overcast most of the day. Today has been a clear sunny day although a little cooler (upper 70's).
Walking out on the beach this morning we encountered numerous folks and their horses also enjoyimg the beach. Some horses seem a little skittish of the ocean and sand. Others seemed to enjoy wading into the surf.

From Horses Arrive

Of course walking on the beach or even in the campground with horses causes one to be careful where one steps- they don't clean up after their horses. Yesterday I mentioned that there were horses camped beside us and a license plate was from Wyoming- well that was the plate on the truck's front, the rear plate states "North Carolina" which is the correct location.
Tom and I went out shopping today- Bass Pro Shop, Tanger Outlets and finally Sam's Club.
We walked about the campground this evening. There is an area set up with vendors selling their wares of western clothing, tack and even dog supplies.

From Horses Arrive

There are also some food services- a barbeque trailer and trailer selling corn on the cob. The campground is a hive of activity.

The Horses Arrive

This morning (Wednesday) we drove up to Calabash, North Carolina which is just north of the Myrtle Beach area to see about getting some fresh shrimp. We were in luck, the shrimp boats were docked and the shrimpers were selling shrimp.

From Shrinp

When we returned to the campground we were diverted to a different road to enter the campground. The horse trailers were arriving loaded with horses.
After a lunch of shrimp salad sandwiches- boy, they were good- we walked out on the beach. There were horse back riders in both directions. It is unbelievable the number of horses in the campground. Most of the trailers occupy at least 2 campsites. The horses are in portable corrals or tethered to a line strung between 2 trees. Beside our campsite there are a horse and a pony corralled together, neither that likes being separated from one another. According to the truck's license plate they are from Wyoming.

From 2009-10-30

Directly across from us is another corral with 3 horses, they are from Georgia. There has been a steady parade of riders riding about the campground. I believe this campground is the only campground having this beach riding event. Yesterday afternoon big rollback dumpsters were brought into the campground and situated throughout, today signs have been posted on these dumpsters that they are for horse waste only. I'm not sure who is cleaning up the beach after the horses,

From Horses Arrive

it is obvious that the riders are not. This is certainly a different camping experience.

Myrtle Beach

The past weekend started out on Thursday and Friday being cool and cloudy. And then Saturday we had rain all day. The rain would not have been so bad if we had not been parked in the infield of the racetrack that became a huge mud pit. Tom and I did an hour of security duty on Saturday when the rains were the hardest and were soaked below the area of our rain coats. Nothing like wet clothes and then not having the ability to get them dried. We had very limited electric and water hook-ups. Thankfully, we were with friends that made the weekend enjoyable. After the closing program on Sunday we headed south spending the night in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. On Monday we continued on to our destination of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
We are staying at Lakewood Campground that is on the beach. The weather was cool and rainy yesterday, today (Tuesday) it is warmer but still cloudy and raining tonight. We did walk out on the beach this morning. After tonight's rain it is to clear off and be nice weather for the remainder of the week. This weekend, aside from being Halloween, is a time for bringing horses to the beach. From what we understand there will be a parade of costumed horse riders on the beach this weekend. Should be interesting.

A Fall Get Away

The fall Maryland State Samboree will be this weekend in Frederick. We will be going in tomorrow so Tom can go golfing on Friday. Sounds like it should be a good weekend as a number of folks from the Traveling Americans are planning to attend. Hope the weather stays nice but according to the forecast rain is expected on Saturday. You might know it, Travis was groomed today- it seems to always rain whenever Travis is freshly groomed.
Our plans are to go to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for several days before heading back up to the Ocean City area of Maryland for a weekend campout with the Traveling Americans. Getting the motorhome ready to go out is time consuming so when we go I much prefer to stay out for a spell.

A Visit to a Veterinary Internist

This morning we took Travis to Towson to be seen by an Internist. The doctor reviewed the information that our vet had forward to him and then examined Travis. The exam did not reveal any obvious problem, possibly a little enlarged liver. It was then recommended that he have an ultrasound done and a needle biopsy done, if indicated at that time. So the ultrasound was done and we were surprised when the needle biopsy was not done. The ultrasound did not show anything grossly abnormal with the liver. The area of the gall bladder indicated some inflammation but no large stones. The recommendation from this point was to have a liver biopsy (not the needle biopsy) or to treat medically and see if the bloodwork shows improvement. We opted to treat medically so we have 3 prescriptions of medications to give to the little guy, one is a veterinarian medication and the other 2 are human meds but at a much lower dosage. Our local Epic pharmacist is able to prepare the medications we need, how lucky!

A Week of Sad News

In the last post I mentioned that a club member of the Traveling Americans had been admitted to the hospital and was not doing well. On Tuesday we learned that Russ Bishop had passed away. He had been fighting a bone cancer for 4 years ever since Tom and I had learned to know him and his wife, Sandy. Russ was a gentle man with a quiet sense of humor. He was someone you could enjoy being around. Today we attended his funeral with many other members of the T.A. club and afterwards another couple in the club invited everyone back to their house for the reception following the funeral. We will all certainly miss Russ. We are hopeful that Sandy will continue to camp with us on our weekends.
We also learned of another dear friend of long standing that has a brain cancer is losing her battle. By email her husband tells us that she is in need of someone to be with her continuously. She was such a fun person with lots of spirit to be around.
Then there is our little buddy, Travis. After having bloodwork done in preparation for removal of a little growth on his eyelid and teeth cleaning there were some enzymes elevated. So further blood work was preformed that indicated something is wrong that involves the liver. We are now scheduled on Monday to take him to an internist for further evauation and a possible ultrasound study. So far he does not have any outward signs of any problems. The eyelid and teeth surgery will be delayed until the problem is diagnosed and it is felt he will be okay having anesthesia.

A Relaxing Weekend

Well another weekend with the Traveling Americans has passed. We camped together this past weekend at Twin Bridges Campground near Chambersburg, Pennsylvannia. It was a small group of 6 RV units. The weather after Friday's cloudy, misty day was near perfect fall weather on Saturday and Sunday. It was nice enough that we ate our meals outdoors, a little chilly for breakfast but we made do. Friday evening 5 couples went out to eat at a restaurant prior to the 6th couple getting to the campground. Saturday morning the host couples furnished a nice continental breakfast. Saturday evening dinner and Sunday morning breakfast we had pot luck. The campground was quiet with a few other campers. Tom and I drove to McConnellsburg on Saturday, traffic was fairly heavy in the area.
Word was received at the campout that a fellow member that has been fighting cancer for several years had been admitted to the hospital and was not doing well. We all had this man and his wife in our thoughts and prayers throughout the weekend.

Mayberry Reunion

Yesterday started out to be a day of uneasiness with Parker's formula problems. Todd did call and report that a co-worker of his was able to obtain some formula at a hospital. We sure hope this little guy soon gets on the formula that will agree with him. Through all this he is gaining weight which is most important.
In the afternoon Tom and I went back to Mayberry for a reunion with folks that have any connection with that little town. It was a real nice afternoon. It has become a yearly event but we never know who might show up from one year to the next. This year a man that was in my class at school was there along with some of his other siblings and their spouses. We had not seen each other since school days. It was great to meet this way. We each bring a dish of food to share and this year fried chicken was provided. In years past we have had burgers and hot dogs. The chicken was a nice change and no one had to stand over grills cooking it.

Worried about Parker

Our grandson, Parker, is having problems with finding a formula that agrees with him. This morning we got a phone call from our son asking us if we could find a store that has Nutramigen AA in stock. This formula is very hard to find and very expensive. We were not successful in our search.

Parker has gotten to a point where he does not want to take a bottle and has us all very concerned. We hope this formula will agree with him and help the poor little guy get settled down and feeling better.

It was a Good Sunday...

Today was a good Sunday. We went to church and afterwards we drove to Columbia, Md where we met Ray and Agnes Elderd, good friends we got to know thru motor homing. We had lunch at Bertucci's and an all too short visit with them.

Beth, Our daughter-in-law, sent us pictures of our grandson's first smile.

From Parker Smiles

He is only a month old, but we can see him growing already. The internet and digital cameras makes sending pictures easy.

Mark Martin won the NASCAR race in New Hampshire. The Ravens win in San Diego and I spent the whole day with my best girl.

Yep, it was a very good Sunday indeed!!

The Weekend Comes to an End

Saturday evening after our potluck dinner we again circled the fire pit for a campfire and conversation. Just wish the mosquitos were better trained!
Sunday morning we had another potluck meal as our breakfast. I especially enjoy these breakfasts. We always seem to have a nice variety of breakfast foods, egg dishes, casseroles, breads and fruits. Tom and I went down to the Bass Pro Shop, north of Richmond, later in the day. There is a really nice restaurant there so we shopped and then we had dinner. After returning to the campground, we sat around talking with others. Later in the evening we had pie and ice cream around the final campfire for this outing.
This morning we had breakfast of ham and cheese on croissants before packing up and heading in various directions. We wanted to get on the road before the traffic got too heavy which we did and arrived home at 1:45pm. Some of the group went south toward Myrtle Beach instead of going home. We would have liked to joined them but appointments and commitments that prevented us from doing so- maybe, next year!

Labor Day Weekend- 2009

Thursday we left home and travelled down into Virginia to a campground south of Fredericksburg to meet up with the Traveling Americans. Our campout officially didn't start until Friday but there were 3 other couples from the group also at the campground on Thursday. For dinner we drove into the town of Bowling Green and ate at the Cafe on Main Street.
Friday the remaining campers of our group arrived making, I believe, 13 units, a real nice group. Again we had to go out to eat, this time at an Italian restarant, Romas, in Bowling Green. Afterwards we returned to sit around a campfire and enjoy one anothers company.
Today Saturday we started with a continental breakfast, provided by the host couple. Then everyone went their own ways doing/going wherever. We stayed at the campground visiting with others that stayed. The weather has been just wonderful. This evening we are having a pot luck dinner. This morning before breakfast I made a peach pie for Sunday evening. Because of the reduced electric (30 amps as opposed to 50) I wanted to make the pie before it became warmer in the day and when I was not cooking other things. Running the microwave along with air conditioning can cause problems. I had made a black bean salad before leaving home to be taken to the pot luck supper tonight.

Maddy Time

Maddy has spent most of the week with us. We seem to have a very busy time whenever she is with us. Monday we had some chores around the house that needed to be attended so we only left the house to go to a produce stand to buy some fresh corn. Tuesday we went to Baltimore for the day. Our first stop was at Fort McHenry where we had a ranger lead tour over the Fort.

From Baltimore 2009 08 25

After eating lunch at the Inner Harbor Food Court area we went to the Science Center for the afternoon. This proved to be more exciting for Maddy as she likes the interactive activities.

From Baltimore 2009 08 25

While there we saw a young man that we thought we recognized as a flight nurse that works with Todd. Tom asked him if he was a flight nurse and sure enough he was. He was there with his children and sister. We spent several hours in the center. Before leaving Baltimore we stopped at a "Rita's" for gelatos. Maddy had never eaten at "Rita's" before but she found the gelato pleasing to her taste.

From Baltimore 2009 08 25

Maddy wanted to return to Cunningham Falls to climb rocks, as we had done one other time, so we tentatively planned to do that on Wednesday. The weather forecast was calling for a real hot day so we all agreed to forego that idea. After checking movie schedules we decided to go to a theater in Gettysburg to see "Shorts". Maddy said it was the best movie she had ever seen. It was cute but certainly not the best I had ever seen- then again I have been around a little longer than Maddy.
Today, Thursday, we went to Frederick to eat lunch at La Paz restaurant, Maddy's request. During lunch Maddy asked if there was a "Rita's" in Frederick. So after lunch we stopped for another gelato. We then travelled down to Leesburg, Virginia where we met Todd to return Maddy. It was a good week.

Todd turns 40

Today is our son's 40th birthday. A day that almost didn't happen except for the actions of his wife, Beth and the emergency medical persons. The system came together and worked as designed to save him from sudden cardiac arrest. We hope and pray that he has at least 40 more birthdays and enjoys many years of good health. Happy Birthday Son, we love you. Mom and Dad.

From Parker 2009 08 22

Back to Virginia

Yesterday we returned to Todd and Beth's house again. Our purpose this time, in addition to seeing grandchildren, was to celebrate Todd's 40th birthday a few days early. It's hard for me to think that Todd will be 40 years old on August 25th. It's also scary to think that he almost left this world in November. We are so thankful for the actions of Beth and the care of the medical care providers.
We had a nice visit. Anthony was home after being away most of the summer with his dad in Massachusetts and then in New York with his grandparents. Maddy was back with Todd for another week and was coming home with us for a few days this week. And baby Parker was just his darling little self.

From Parker 2009 08 22

We had planned to go out to eat but had to wait for the torrential rain to slow up before going out. Todd and Beth's patio was just swamped with water in no time. We finally got away and ate at a Ruby Tuesday's restaurant. When we returned we had cake and sang "Happy Birthday". It was hard putting that baby down and getting ourselves home.
This morning I thought I would have a hard time getting Maddy out of bed in time to go to church but she was up before "Grandpa". After attending early church services we have enjoyed a quiet day home with the possibility of an ice cream trip later this evening.

Annual Physical

Yesterday I got my annual physical for fire fighting and school bus driving.  The physical is paid for by the Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association and the School Bus Contractor I sub for.  It is a good exam which covers you from top to bottom.  The hardest part of the exam is the stress test on the tread mill, but the rest of the exam is a piece of cake.

I passed again this year and now have to wait for the blood work results to come back.  Hope all is well in that area also.

Parker

Sunday we return to Virginia to see our grandson, Parker, now that he was home from the hospital. Weighing 6 pounds he is a tiny little boy. Tom and I took turns holding him most of the time we were there. It is so nice that his parents shares him. We have had a great week having Maddy with us in Tennessee and then spending time with less-than-a-week old Parker. Of course,we enjoy being with Todd and Beth as they seem so happy together. Life is good!

From Parker 2009 08 22

Coming Home

This morning we left Staunton about 9am heading for Fredericksburg, Virginia. We arrived in Fredericksburg a little before noon and were able to find a parking place at Mary Washington Hospital. We were here to see our new grandson and to leave Maddy in the care of her dad. Of course, this was Maddy's first chance to see her new brother, she is now an "older sibling"(her words). Once in the hospital room of our daughter-in-law we had to wait for little Parker to be brought back from having a test drive in his car seat, something that was required since he was a few weeks early. He finally arrived after passing his test and we got to ooh and aah all over him. He is such an adorable little guy, all of 6 pounds. He and his mommy were going to be leaving the hospital this afternoon with his daddy and sister, Maddy. We left the hospital and came home. What a day! Grandchildren are just wonderful!

Our Trip is Winding Down

Yesterday, Wednesday, we awoke to rain. What to do in the rain? Maddy had asked about going to Wonder Works when we first got to the Pigeon Forge area. Wonder Works is in a building that appears to be upside down and has interactive activities to entertain you. So with a rainy morning we went to Wonder Works where we were entertained for several hours. As we were leaving this place the rain stopped and the sun was out. We went to Gatlinburg for lunch and then to the Sugarlands Ranger Station of the Smoky Mountains National Park. We had planned to watch the movie but as we were waiting for the next showing it was announced that a ranger program- Do You Want To Be A Scientist- was to start. The program was aimed at kids and Maddy wanted to participate. So we followed a ranger to an area behind the ranger station and were given equipment to find bugs in the park. After finding the bugs the ranger helped to identify them. The bugs were then set free.
This morning, Thursday, we left Tennessee and headed north through Virginia. We are staying in a campground in Staunton. Tomorrow we will continue to Fredericksburg or Stafford to return Maddy to her daddy and see our new grandson.

New Grandson

This evening around 6:00 our grandson, Parker Joseph Van de Bussche was born. He weights 6.1 pounds and is 19.5 inches long. Mother and baby are both doing fine. We can not wait to see everyone on Friday when we get back to Va.

Wednesday with Maddy

Today was going to be a rainy day, so we were unsure of what to do. Maddy wanted to go to Wonder Works. She had been there several months ago when she was here with her mother. It bills itself as an amusement park for the mind. We spent about 2 hours there. Maddy had alot of fun and we enjoyed some of the activities as well. From there we drove to Gatlinburg and had lunch at a Mexican Restaurant called No Way Jose. The food is good and we recommend it everyone.

After lunch we decided to go back to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Visitor's center to see a movie they have about the park. Before we had a chance to see the movie, they announced a ranger talk for the kids. We took a small walk and the ranger told the group about insect life in the park. They handed out some supplies that we could be used to collect insects and later view them. Maddy had fun and enjoyed herself. Afterwards we returned to the motorhome. It was another fullday with Maddy.

Smokey Mountains

On Sunday we drove around the Smokey Mountain National Park. We had taken Travis along with for the day so we were not permitted to go on any trails with him. We stopped at Newfound Gap,a sign here marks the boundary line between Tennessee and North Carolina. Tom and Maddy walked a short ways on the Appalachian Trail while Travis and I wandered around the parking lot observing the views of the mountains. We went as far as Cherokee, North Carolina. Cherokee is much less developed than on the Tennessee side. Maddy saw a mechanical bull that kids were riding and wanted to try her hand. After seeing that the operator was being very gentle with kids we allowed her to try it. She rode for a little time without falling off.
On Monday we spent the day at Dollywood. It was a really hot day, concession stands were giving out free ice water upon requests. We had hoped to see more shows but somehow we just ran out of time. We all had a nice time and were glad to get back to the motorhome at the end of the day.
Today, Tuesday, we went tubing on the Little River. It was another hot day so it was a good way to keep cooler. The vans transporting the tubers were quite busy. We went on a section of the river that was for family tubing traveling one and a half miles. Just as we were getting out of the river and were being transported back to where our car was parked a storm struck, sure glad we got out of the water. When coming back to the motorhome we tried to cut across a mountain and ended up getting lost as we drove around on some back mountainous roads. There were some very nice log homes along the way. When we finally got home it was close to 4pm and we had not had any lunch so we quickly showered and headed out for dinner. The Applewood Restaurant is a short distance so we ate there. We had observed this restaurant is most always busy and after eating there we can understand the draw, the food was very good, prices reasonable, and a nice homey atmosphere. Later in the evening we drove to downtown Sevierville, the home of Dolly Parton, to see the statute of Dolly.

Smoky Mountains and lots of Traffic

We had a nice drive from Max Meadows, Va to Sevierville, Tn. The traffic was moving along without any backups on Interstates 81 and 40. However when we turned onto route 66 to head down to Sevierville the traffic really picked up in volumne. Our final 10 miles was bumper to bumper. We were a bit worried that we might be in the wrong lane and miss our turn off to the campground we are going to be staying at for the week. We are staying at The Dell RV Resort. It is a mile off of the main drag so we don't have any of the noise to deal with. I didn't take my camera with us when we drove around this afternoon, so I don't have any pictures to post.

Maddy joined us today

This morning we hooked up with our Son and picked up our granddaughter, Maddy.  She will be with us for a week in the motorhome.  Leah and I have really been looking forward to this trip for a while.  We made plans to go to the Pigeon Forge, Tn area.  Last night we found out she had been there two months ago with her mother.  We were disappointed to find that out, but we are going to go anyway, knowing we will have a great time.

When we pulled off of I-81 to go to the campground, we pulled into a Flying-J to fill up on gas.  Boy, what a Chinese fire drill that turned out to be.  They had two different ways to get into the car and RV gas pumps and it looked like a demolition derby with vehicles coming in from different directions needing to fill their tanks from different sides.  Somehow we were able to navigate the mess and get in and out with a minimum of problem.  We will be certain to not stop at this Flying-J again.

While on the road we decided to call ahead for a campsite.  It was good that we did as there were only two sites left when we called.  The park, Fort Chiswell,  is a good sam park and cost less than $30.00 for a full hookup pull thru site with cable TV and free wi-fi.  We had not problem connecting to the wi-fi, but for some reason could not get on the Internet, so I am using Microsoft Live Writer to write this offline and will update the blog with it when we get to another park.

Picking Up Where We Left Off

As we were leaving home in June, to travel through the midwest, our stamped concrete walkways were being completed. Rain had caused the work to be delayed and the last step of applying a sealer had not been done by the contractor until after we had left. When we returned home the walkways were completed but the areas around the walks needed some work. So for the past several days we have been putting mulch along the walkways and around the shrubbery. The area between the front of the house and the walkway had some ornamental grasses that were well past their prime so we removed them. We spent one day going to a garden center to get some ideas. In the end we decided to mulch around the shrubbery and not plant anything else in that area at this time. After distributing 60-plus bags of mulch we are finished that project. It was back-breaking work but we are pleased with the results.

Events of the Past Week

Well so much time has passed since the last post. We made it safely to Bowling Green, Ohio on Sunday morning leaving Bremen, Indiana about 7:30am and arriving about 10:30am. The Newmar group was parked on the campus of Bowling Green State University. There were over 2700 motorhomes of most every description at the rally, some parked on the campus and others at the county fairgrounds nearby. Seminars, vendor areas and entertainment were all held on the university campus. On Sunday evening Tom and I went to Findlay, Ohio to have dinner at Max and Erma's, a restaurant, with some high school classmates of Tom's. Through email communication it had been arranged to get together since Tom would be in the area. It was a nice evening. Monday morning we went to Fayette, Ohio to Tom's sister, Julie, and her family's home. Tom had left a hat at Julie's when we were there at the family reunion in June so we needed to pick that up and we thought we should visit again with them before going home. In the afternoon the motorhome display area was opened for viewing so we went over and walked through several units. We still like our 10 year old motorhome best! Tuesday was the opening day of the vendor area. We had some items we were interested in obtaining or learning more about. Our 10 year old tow bar was a number 1 concern so we were able to get that replaced. The vendor area always has trinkets, candies and information handouts so we end up with bags of "stuff". We had a coupon for pancakes, plain and blueberry, that we could get at a booth. I thought it was going to be pancake mix but it was actually frozen pancakes that were packaged 24 to a pack. A package of plain and a pack of blueberry were given to everyone turning in a coupon. (We did try eating pancakes for breakfast one morning and they were good, just warmed up in the microwave and eat.) The evenings entertainment was 4:2:Five, a group of 5 young men that sing acappella even making sounds of musical instruments. During the course of their entertainment the generator supplying power to their sound system failed but these guys just came out into the audience and continued the show until power was restored. Wednesday, Tom's brother, Roger, stopped by, visited and had lunch with us. Roger lives just north of the Bowling Green area. Lorrie Morgan was to be the entertainment for the evening but it had rained much of the day so the show which was to be held at the stadium was cancelled. Actually at the time of the show rained had stopped so there were some unhappy campers! Thursday we were up early to attend 8am seminars. Tom went to a seminar on Google Earth and I attended a seminar on quilts. FMCA members make small, children's quilts throughout the year and then donate these quilts to a hospital or shelter that is local to the rally. There were more than 50 quilts of all kinds patterns and designs donated. We attended other seminars later in the morning, Tom went to Picasa 3 and I went to recycling gray water. We went out to dinner with Ed and Barb Perry,Maryland friends we have known for sometime that recently bought a motorhome and were attending their first FMCA International Rally. The entertainment for the evening was a group called Phil Dirt and the Dozers, an oldies group. Friday morning we departed Bowling Green and headed east toward home. It is amazing how quickly a large group of motorhomes becomes dispersed throughout the country in a short time. Everyone leaves on their own time, some leave before the rally ends and then on the day of departure people start leaving at 6am and others will hang around until late morning. We got away about 8:30am. Not taking the turnpike, we traveled over route 70 and stopped at a KOA in Washington, Pa. for the night. Today we continued our travels over route 68 through western Maryland to Hancock then on to Taneytown. That is a very scenic drive but the hills are long and plentiful. The abundance of rain while we were away sure had the weeds in the flower beds growing. We commented on our way home about the green countryside compared to what has been for numerous summers brown dried up environments.

Final Days at Bremen, Indiana

Friday was an open day to do whatever. In preparation for our move on Sunday morning to the FMCA International Rally in Bowling Green, Ohio, bed linens and other laundry was done. We then traveled about the area. We stopped at a couple of the quilt gardens (there are 16 throughout Elkhart County) in our travels. We ate lunch at American Countryside Farmer's Market, a big, new market near Elkhart. Friday evening we had a catered dinner and then we played card bingo.
Today, Saturday, we started with a catered haystack breakfast. A haystack consists of potatoes, sausage and ham, scrambled eggs, a cheesy sauce and toasted bread cubes on top. It was very good. In the afternoon we went to Amish Acres to see a play, "Good and Plenty", about the Amish life. After the play we had dinner at Amish Acres, family style dinner of fried chicken and beef with the trimmings and pie for dessert. Very good and plenty to eat.
Tomorrow we go for Bowling Green about 135 miles to the east as a group. There are 39 units going in together so we need to leave Bremen between 7 and 7:30am to get there by 11:00am.

The Rally Continues

Wednesday morning Tom and I were up early as we had volunteered to help with breakfast. We were scheduled to have a continental style breakfast but someone stepped forward to prepare sausage and pancakes for 100 plus participants of the rally.
After our breakfast duties were completed and Travis was walked, we drove around the Nappanee area. This area is well known for the presence of the Amish. Following a map we traveled on some backroads through the Amish communities. Shingle stores, private homes with a shingle (sign) citing some product as fabrics or quilts, are quite common. Throughout this Amish Country there are quilt gardens, each garden recreates a traditional or contemporary quilt pattern. We viewed the one in Nappanee that was composed of pink alysum, white and purple salvia and blue ageratium. We stopped at a country diner for a late lunch.
In the evening Tom had his second round of beanbag baseball but his team got beat so they are finished.
Today, Thursday, we attended a seminar by Precision Paint, a local company that paints motorhomes. After their talk, we were treated to a lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs by Precision Paint. And then we were invited to their facility a short distance from the campground for a tour which we found to be very interesting.

From Bremen Indiana

From Bremen Indiana

While there Tom asked about the replacement of headlights- our motorhome headlight lenses have become yellowed and cloudy with age. We had set up an appointment for someone to come to the campground on Friday to replace ours. After returning to the campground we had a business meeting that we had to attend. During the meeting Tom got a call that Precision Paint employees were here today to replace the headlights so he went back to the motorhome and I stayed at the meeting. The new headlights improve the appearence of the motorhome and will provide much improved lights for nighttime driving.

From Bremen Indiana

From Bremen Indiana

From Bremen Indiana

From Bremen Indiana

A pizza dinner was provided- salad, pizzas, and cinnamon sticks.

The Rally Begins

The Newmar International Chapter of FMCA rally started this morning with a period for registration. Tote bags with literature about the surrounding area and RV products along with some small gifts were distributed.
We rode into Nappanee, Indiana to the Newmar factory to get a cover for the vent at the bottom of our shower. The present cover had the paint chipping away. Although they no longer carry the exact same cover as we presently have they had one that may work if not we could return it. Tom immediately checked it out when we got home and was able to drill some new holes and make the fit.
Late this afternoon we had a welcoming meeting followed by the executives from Newmar offering some remarks and answering questions. Our dinner of hot dogs and hamburgers was cooked by the Newmar Executives, that included the company president.
After dinner a bean bag baseball tournament was started and will be on-going through out the week. Tom was a participant, I took Travis for a walk and then became a spectator.

Monday in Bremen, Indiana

Another beautiful day- bright sunshine and comfortable temperatures. After doing some chores around the motorhome and giving Travis a much needed bath, Tom and I drove into Bremen. We ate lunch at a small Mexican restaurant that proved to be a good choice. I felt a need for a haircut and spied a salon across the street from the restaurant. Luckily, I was able to get haircut before the next client showed up for her appointment. Beauticians are usually full of information and so we learned of an Amish store out in the country- Rentown's- which we went to. It was a store that carried bulk foods but they also had cheese at some unbelievable prices- $1.49 a pound for Colby-Jack cheese. This is indeed Amish country as we saw numerous horse-pulled wagons with Amish families traveling over the roads today.

Muskegon and Bremen, Indiana

We spent Friday and Saturday in Muskegon, Michigan in Fishermans' Landing, a city owned park on Lake Muskegon. After a stormy night on Friday we awoke to a bright sunshiny day on Saturday. A short distance from the campground there was a farmer's market. A market is held 3 times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and it puts most other markets to shame. Two long open air buildings had stalls in which the vendors had their produce and plants for sale.

From Muskegon Michigan

I always seem to get carried away when I'm in a market as this. I bought cherries (sweet and tart),blueberries, fresh beets, squash and radishes.

From Muskegon Michigan

We made a stop at a grocery store and then returned to the motorhome. After baking a cherry pie, I prepared dinner cooking the beets along with some broccoli and cherry bratwurst(a special brat that is made during the time of the cherry festival). We really enjoyed eating those beets and pieces of cherry pie.

From Muskegon Michigan

(Note from Tom, "The pie was GREAT!")
After a nice walk we watched the sunset over the lake.

From Muskegon Michigan

From Muskegon Michigan

Today, Sunday, we moved on further south to Bremen, Indiana, about 160 miles. We are attending a rally here, FMCA Newmar group, that goes from Tuesday until Sunday. As with most rallies arriving early is very common and there are about 10 units here. The weather is really pleasant- at 9:30pm it is 65 degrees outside. The high temperature was probably 80 degrees. No need for AC.

Tuesday through Friday Catching Up

Somehow I've got a little behind with the blog and now I'm attempting to get it up to date.  Tuesday through Thursday we remained in Traverse City.  We were just biding our time enjoying the campground and tending to some maintenance and housekeeping chores as well as getting prescriptions renewed.  I had a prescription that needed authorization and had overlooked that fact prior to leaving home but it wasn't too much of a problem.  The pharmacist called my doctor and was able to renew the script.

On Wednesday evening we returned to the Cherry Festival for the evenings entertainment which was a Beatles cover band called "1964 The Tribute".  They were very good entertainers and we really enjoyed the concert.  People attending reacted to this group as if they were truly THE BEATLES, standing up most of the time, singing along with the songs and dancing.  And, yet, I would dare say that 75% of the audience were younger than folks our age that call the Beatles music of our era. 

Thursday we went to downtown Traverse City and walked about the shopping area.  There were lots of interesting shops and ,of course, many were selling cherry products- dried cherries, cherry jams and salsas and even cherry ice cream.  Oh, my!

Today, Friday, we packed up and left Traverse City heading south toward Indiana.   Traveling about 150 miles to Muskegon, Michigan we are going to stay here until Sunday.  The campground we are staying is Fisherman's Landing and Campground.  It is located on Muskegon Lake, a pretty area.  As the name implies there are lots of fishermen here with their RV's and their boats.

Cherry Festival and Peninsula Drive

This morning we went into Traverse City to the Cherry Festival.

From Cherry Festival

Today they were honoring hometown heros. Emergency personnel-firemen and EMS- with equipment were on display along with other medical facilities.

From Cherry Festival

Vendors selling all kinds of cherry products had their tents set up.

From Cherry Festival

From Cherry Festival

From Cherry Festival

The location of the festival is right along the lake. It is quite a pretty area. We walked to the downtown area, about a block, to find a restaurant for lunch. We thought we had a better choice of somewhat healthier food in a restaurant over the festival food.
After lunch we drove up the peninsula that goes from Traverse City to Old Mission a distance of about 20 miles. It was an absolutely beautiful drive with great views of the lake, cherry orchards and vineyards.

From Travis Birthday and Travis City Area

We stopped at the lighthouse at the end of the peninsula.

From Travis Birthday and Travis City Area

In Old Mission, a small town on the northern end of the peninsula, we visited an old mission church. A stop at a vineyard for wine tasting followed by a stop for some fresh cherries at a roadside stand rounded out the tour.

From Travis Birthday and Travis City Area

The weather was sunny but cool today. This evening the clouds have moved in and it is getting chillier.

Happy Birthday, Travis!!

Today Travis had his 12th birthday. Since he was 7 weeks old Travis has been with us and we couldn't ask for a better little buddyAnother beautiful day and comfortable temperatures in the 70's
We took a ride heading north from Traverse City. Cherry orchards were all along the highway. We stopped in Elk Rapids, a picturesque town along Lake Michigan. A city park on the lake had a beach and people were out swimming-brrrr.

From Traverse City and Elk Rapids

A stream flowing into the lake also had people swimming.

From Traverse City and Elk Rapids

We watched boats coming into and going out of the marina.

From Traverse City and Elk Rapids

The water was very clean appearing- we were able to clearly see the bottom- and almost as colorful as the Carribbean.
After getting back to the motorhome we fixed dinner and later had ice cream and cake for Travis' birthday. It was a good day.

From Travis Birthday and Travis City Area

Air Show

After talking about the rainy weather for the past week I forgot to mention yesterday that we finally had sunny skies. Temperatures are in the low 70's and believe it or not this morning was the coldest morning yet at 47 degrees.
It was a beautiful day today. The Cherry festival had an air show over Lake Michigan. We watched the show with thousands of others that were spread along the shores of the lake.

From Traverse City and Elk Rapids

Afterwards we ate dinner out and returned to the campground for a quiet evening. Travis doesn't handle fireworks too well so we keep the 4th as quiet as possible. Happy 4th of July!

Moving on to Traverse City

We left the Dunes and traveled about 30 miles to the east to Traverse City. The National Cherry festival begins here tomorrow. Unfortunately, the cherries are about 2 weeks late due to a late cool spring so the festival planners have had to resort to bringing cherries in from other states.
We are camped at Timberridge Campground Resort. We had made prior reservations since this is 4th of July weekend. Other than making a run to the grocery store we have stayed in the campground catching up on laundry.

Leland

I cannot believe that we are still in a weather pattern of cold and dampness. Late yesterday afternoon the sun came out for a short period of time then it rained again last night. It was predicted that the sun would shine this afternoon but that didn't happen.
We had notice a farm nearby that had a field with poles and strings. A sign stated it was a hops farm so we assumed that the hops are grown in this field and entwine up the strings.

From Hops and Leland

From Hops and Leland

Enroute to Leland we stopped at Good Harbor Vineyards. They had the bottling equipment in operation. As many times as we have been to wineries, this was the first time we have seen the actual bottling of wine. Tasting cost $4.00 each, but you get to keep the glass and if you bring the glass with you on a return visit, you get a discount on the tasting. After the tasting, we purchased several bottles of wine and continued on our day trip to Leland.
Driving north we saw a sign that stated it marked the halfway point between the equator and North Pole.

From Hops and Leland

We drove to Leland, Michigan. Leland has a harbor on Lake Michigan from which a ferry transports people to the North and South Manitou Islands. These islands have only primitive provisions. We saw a group of teenagers with hiking gear including sleeping bags and tents that had returned on the ferry.

From Hops and Leland

The harbor area of Leland is called Fishtown.

From Hops and Leland

There are numerous old shacks that at this time are used for shops and a shack or 2 that sells fish, fresh or smoked.

From Hops and Leland

It was quite an active and interesting area. We talked with a shop keeper about recommendations for restaurants. He suggested Fischer's Happy Hour Tavern about 6 miles north of Leland which we went to and enjoyed a fried chicken dinner.
After dinner we traveled a little further north to Northport, another small town on Lake Michigan. In our travels we saw a very strange looking building which we believe is a house.

From Hops and Leland

Tomorrow we will move from this area to Traverse City about 25 miles to the east of Empire where we are at this time.