Another few days have flown by, I don’t know where the time goes but it does seem to fly by really quickly.
On Wednesday the guys were here shortly after 8:30 to wash the trailer and truck and my, what a difference it makes as they sure were dirty! After they finished John started polishing and he now has both the truck & trailer all polished and shiny – have to put on sunglasses to look at them!!! As I said to a friend in an e-mail, John is like the energizer bunny – he just keeps on going - I sure do wish he would pass some of that energy on to me!!
Yesterday was American Thanksgiving, we are lucky that we get to celebrate two Thanksgivings, our Canadian one in October and the American one in November. There was a dinner at the park but we didn’t go, somehow I just can’t get excited about eating a large meal at 2 in the afternoon so instead we cooked our own little turkey with all the trimmings.
Yesterday was quite cold and windy so I didn’t venture far and John only did polishing where he could be in the sun. Today was much nicer but still a bit on the cool side, however, we aren’t getting freezing temperatures and snow or rain so I am not complaining.
This morning I did laundry, I am trying to get on a Thursday schedule but wasn’t sure if the laundromat would be open yesterday so waited until today to do it. It turns out it was open yesterday, but not staffed. Late this afternoon we went to Fry’s and picked up a couple of groceries then got a pizza from Da Boyz for dinner.
Tomorrow is my sisters birthday, happy early birthday Pat. She and a friend are going to Quebec for a week and leaving early tomorrow morning so I called her a while ago to wish her a happy birthday as well as a happy holiday.
We have nothing planned for the weekend, I will probably bury my nose in a book and relax.
And so ends more great gifts of days and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
There hasn’t been much happening to write about. On Sunday the temperature took a dive and although it was sunny we only had a high of about 63F (16C), a bit cooler than normal. I don’t like temperatures in the 80’s so I would rather have the cooler weather than hot and humid.
Kel, Tim and Cara had a good trip to Ottawa and didn’t get the snow that was forecast so had a good drive back and forth, I was glad to hear from her that the trip was fine.
Our friends on Vancouver Island sent us a couple of pictures of all the snow they are having there – glad it’s them and not us! You guys should hurry up and come south where there isn’t any snow!!
Vegetables Growing in the Yuma Area
On Sunday we stopped to see our friends from Calgary, it was nice to catch up with them again. They are in another park so we don’t see them too often but it is nice to catch up once in a while.
We have been out doing a bit of shopping, we went to Marshall’s and John got a pair of Clark shoes for $29 and I got a pair of Naturalizers for $25, how can you argue with those prices! I have been looking for a new vacuum, I bought a Dirt Devil Featherlite last fall and didn’t like it at all, I felt like all it was doing was blowing the dirt around. Today I found what I was looking for, a Shark Navigator, it has had really good reviews so here’s hoping it is a lot better.
The showerhead started leaking this morning when I had my shower so that was another thing on the list – seems like there is always something!
I went out this morning and got my bar bells for the pool exercises so am now all ready to go. I am not sure if I will get there on Friday as we might go to Mexico that day to see about glasses and the dentist.
Tomorrow we get the truck and trailer washed and they sure do need it – they are totally filthy.
Our Home at Mountain Cactus Ranch
And so ends more great gifts of days and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Kel, Tim and Cara had a good trip to Ottawa and didn’t get the snow that was forecast so had a good drive back and forth, I was glad to hear from her that the trip was fine.
Our friends on Vancouver Island sent us a couple of pictures of all the snow they are having there – glad it’s them and not us! You guys should hurry up and come south where there isn’t any snow!!
Vegetables Growing in the Yuma Area
On Sunday we stopped to see our friends from Calgary, it was nice to catch up with them again. They are in another park so we don’t see them too often but it is nice to catch up once in a while.
We have been out doing a bit of shopping, we went to Marshall’s and John got a pair of Clark shoes for $29 and I got a pair of Naturalizers for $25, how can you argue with those prices! I have been looking for a new vacuum, I bought a Dirt Devil Featherlite last fall and didn’t like it at all, I felt like all it was doing was blowing the dirt around. Today I found what I was looking for, a Shark Navigator, it has had really good reviews so here’s hoping it is a lot better.
The showerhead started leaking this morning when I had my shower so that was another thing on the list – seems like there is always something!
I went out this morning and got my bar bells for the pool exercises so am now all ready to go. I am not sure if I will get there on Friday as we might go to Mexico that day to see about glasses and the dentist.
Tomorrow we get the truck and trailer washed and they sure do need it – they are totally filthy.
Our Home at Mountain Cactus Ranch
And so ends more great gifts of days and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
I guess I missed doing a posting yesterday, probably because there isn’t really anything exciting to write about.
Yesterday was cleaning day and I am happy to say we are now nice and clean for a couple more days but it doesn’t take long before it needs to be done again.
John went out and did some running around looking for bits and pieces but I opted not to go – Lowe’s, Home Depot etc. aren’t high on my shopping places!
Today I did three loads of laundry so that is caught up again for a bit, I want to try to get on a Thursday as laundry day routine so hopefully that will work out. The laundromat has put in a lot of new machines so hopefully when it is busy machines will still be available. After the laundry we stopped at Fry’s and picked up a few groceries then it was home again.
This morning before we went out to do laundry we noticed our friend Diane was across the road at Betty’s so we went over to say hi. During the conversation we mentioned that we were surprised the couple from Gravenhurst weren’t here yet as they left about the same time we did. Later, when we got back, Betty came over to tell John that she had just heard that Marvin had had medical problems when they were in Laughlin and they had to go home, not a nice thing to hear. Hopefully he will be okay but don’t know if they will be able to return this winter.
The fellow whose shed John had stored his bike in last spring hasn’t arrived yet either, but fortunately he gave John a key to the shed so John got his bike out this afternoon and it is now ready to get some use. John has missed his bike rides since leaving Kincardine and is looking forward to getting in the groove again. I hope to start water aerobics next week, have to find some water bar bells first so hopefully I can get them on Monday.
This afternoon I did the same as yesterday after I finished cleaning – I sat outside with a good book and enjoyed the sun and warm temperatures.
As you can see it has been a couple of quiet days, just the way we like.
Our daughter Kelly and her husband and daughter were going to Ottawa today to see our grandson who is going to University of Ottawa. Looking at the weather they could be in for a bit of snow so hope they have a safe trip. Our granddaughter is hoping to go to the U of O next fall so they were going down so her brother could giver her a tour of the university.
And so ends another two great gifts of days and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Yesterday was cleaning day and I am happy to say we are now nice and clean for a couple more days but it doesn’t take long before it needs to be done again.
John went out and did some running around looking for bits and pieces but I opted not to go – Lowe’s, Home Depot etc. aren’t high on my shopping places!
Today I did three loads of laundry so that is caught up again for a bit, I want to try to get on a Thursday as laundry day routine so hopefully that will work out. The laundromat has put in a lot of new machines so hopefully when it is busy machines will still be available. After the laundry we stopped at Fry’s and picked up a few groceries then it was home again.
This morning before we went out to do laundry we noticed our friend Diane was across the road at Betty’s so we went over to say hi. During the conversation we mentioned that we were surprised the couple from Gravenhurst weren’t here yet as they left about the same time we did. Later, when we got back, Betty came over to tell John that she had just heard that Marvin had had medical problems when they were in Laughlin and they had to go home, not a nice thing to hear. Hopefully he will be okay but don’t know if they will be able to return this winter.
The fellow whose shed John had stored his bike in last spring hasn’t arrived yet either, but fortunately he gave John a key to the shed so John got his bike out this afternoon and it is now ready to get some use. John has missed his bike rides since leaving Kincardine and is looking forward to getting in the groove again. I hope to start water aerobics next week, have to find some water bar bells first so hopefully I can get them on Monday.
This afternoon I did the same as yesterday after I finished cleaning – I sat outside with a good book and enjoyed the sun and warm temperatures.
As you can see it has been a couple of quiet days, just the way we like.
Our daughter Kelly and her husband and daughter were going to Ottawa today to see our grandson who is going to University of Ottawa. Looking at the weather they could be in for a bit of snow so hope they have a safe trip. Our granddaughter is hoping to go to the U of O next fall so they were going down so her brother could giver her a tour of the university.
And so ends another two great gifts of days and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The weather today was wonderful, sure hope it lasts!
This morning we headed over to Time Warner to pick up the internet modem, when arrived there were a lot of cars parked so we figured it was really busy but much to our surprise, and pleasure, it wasn’t the least bit busy so we were in and out in record time.
Our next stop was Wal Mart, I wanted to get a pedicure, hair cut and pick up the rest of the groceries. While I was doing that John went to where he gets his hair cut and then when he got back to Wally World he noticed that the TV we bought two weeks ago was $50 cheaper, drat. But, to make a long story short, he got a refund of $54.70 so we are happy campers. Due to all the running around re the haircut and TV John never did get to wander around the store at all but I am sure he will find lots of opportunity to do that over the next four months!
By the time we got home it was almost 4 p.m. so too late to get into any major projects today, guess I will just have to wait until tomorrow to start cleaning. Everything is totally filthy so tomorrow will be the day to make the inside at least look nice and clean and shiny again.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
This morning we headed over to Time Warner to pick up the internet modem, when arrived there were a lot of cars parked so we figured it was really busy but much to our surprise, and pleasure, it wasn’t the least bit busy so we were in and out in record time.
Our next stop was Wal Mart, I wanted to get a pedicure, hair cut and pick up the rest of the groceries. While I was doing that John went to where he gets his hair cut and then when he got back to Wally World he noticed that the TV we bought two weeks ago was $50 cheaper, drat. But, to make a long story short, he got a refund of $54.70 so we are happy campers. Due to all the running around re the haircut and TV John never did get to wander around the store at all but I am sure he will find lots of opportunity to do that over the next four months!
By the time we got home it was almost 4 p.m. so too late to get into any major projects today, guess I will just have to wait until tomorrow to start cleaning. Everything is totally filthy so tomorrow will be the day to make the inside at least look nice and clean and shiny again.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
We have arrived at our winter home in Yuma – hooray! We arrived here about 2:15 p.m. and were glad to see the end of the road days, the trip here was 4120 km (2559 miles) so we have covered a lot of ground!
Today’s drive was good and we got 15.1 miles/U.S. gallon, not too shabby, especially considering the last two days we were driving right into the wind so were only getting around 10.5 miles/U.S. gallon. The drive through Tucson was good but I am always glad to get through there, it is so stretched out and takes a long time to get through. We waved to Bob & Denise as we passed Casa Grande, would have loved to stop and say hello but at that point we just wanted to get to Yuma. At least we had a nice visit, although brief, when they stopped to see us in Waterloo at the end of October.
Picacho Peak Near Casa Grande
Cotton Fields
A Double Dome
Lots of Saguaros
Looking Down the Road
We saw this trailer at a park in Gila Bend today and think it is the same one we were parked beside a couple of years ago in Alamogordo (I don't imagine there are too many trailers like it around!)
Once we got set up we sat outside and enjoyed the warmth and sun along with an icy cold beer. Around 5:30 we headed over to Fry’s to pick up a few groceries then picked up a pizza for dinner at Da Boyz Pizza – it was really yummy!
Tomorrow we have lots to do but number 1 will be picking up a modem from Time Warner so we can get the Road Runner internet set up and working.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Today’s drive was good and we got 15.1 miles/U.S. gallon, not too shabby, especially considering the last two days we were driving right into the wind so were only getting around 10.5 miles/U.S. gallon. The drive through Tucson was good but I am always glad to get through there, it is so stretched out and takes a long time to get through. We waved to Bob & Denise as we passed Casa Grande, would have loved to stop and say hello but at that point we just wanted to get to Yuma. At least we had a nice visit, although brief, when they stopped to see us in Waterloo at the end of October.
Picacho Peak Near Casa Grande
Cotton Fields
A Double Dome
Lots of Saguaros
Looking Down the Road
We saw this trailer at a park in Gila Bend today and think it is the same one we were parked beside a couple of years ago in Alamogordo (I don't imagine there are too many trailers like it around!)
Once we got set up we sat outside and enjoyed the warmth and sun along with an icy cold beer. Around 5:30 we headed over to Fry’s to pick up a few groceries then picked up a pizza for dinner at Da Boyz Pizza – it was really yummy!
Tomorrow we have lots to do but number 1 will be picking up a modem from Time Warner so we can get the Road Runner internet set up and working.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Today was another gorgeous day with a high of 72F (21C), it was nice to be able to wear capris and a short sleeve top again.
We had a good drive from Alamogordo to Benson, AZ and are now at Cochise Terrace RV Resort. We have stayed here a few times and it is a nice resort but I forgot that the internet is Tengointernet, not a freebie, I just checked it out and it appears that we can get a 4 hour freebie to try it out so will wait until after dinner to try it as I don’t want to waste time between now and after dinner.
White Sands Outside of Alamogordo
And We Crossed into Arizona
Usually the sunsets here are stunning so I am hoping we will get a nice one tonight, it seems kind of hazy looking out so I’m not sure what that will do for the sunset.
The trailer is disgustingly dirty, we will have to arrange to have the Mexicans wash the trailer and truck as soon as possible! The first couple of days will be busy getting organized, I need to do a major grocery shopping, we both need haircuts and I need a pedicure. And of course, first and foremost is a trip to Time Warner to pick up the parts for internet while we are in Yuma.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
We had a good drive from Alamogordo to Benson, AZ and are now at Cochise Terrace RV Resort. We have stayed here a few times and it is a nice resort but I forgot that the internet is Tengointernet, not a freebie, I just checked it out and it appears that we can get a 4 hour freebie to try it out so will wait until after dinner to try it as I don’t want to waste time between now and after dinner.
White Sands Outside of Alamogordo
And We Crossed into Arizona
Usually the sunsets here are stunning so I am hoping we will get a nice one tonight, it seems kind of hazy looking out so I’m not sure what that will do for the sunset.
The trailer is disgustingly dirty, we will have to arrange to have the Mexicans wash the trailer and truck as soon as possible! The first couple of days will be busy getting organized, I need to do a major grocery shopping, we both need haircuts and I need a pedicure. And of course, first and foremost is a trip to Time Warner to pick up the parts for internet while we are in Yuma.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Today was another nice day but windy, fortunately the Airstream isn’t a high profile RV so the wind doesn’t really bother us or knock us around.
We took I-40 from Tucumcari to Santa Rosa, then picked up Highway 54 south to Almagordo. Highway 54 was good most of the way but there was about a 100 km (60 miles) stretch where it wasn’t real great and no shoulders. There was very little traffic so that was a help during the rougher part.
Driving Through New Mexico
We were going to stay at Edgington RV Park in Alamagordo, it is a Passport America Park and we had stayed there two years ago and it was quite nice but when we got there it was pretty well full. We had passed the Boot Hill RV Resort a couple of miles back so turned around and went back there, a good move, as it is a really nice park and for one night we got the PA rate of $13.25 – how good it that!! There is free wi-fi here and long pull thrus, a really nice park.
Boot Hill RV Resort
We are back in the part of the country we love with mountains, mesas and lots of nothing for miles. The mountains here are really pretty tonight with the sun and shadows and blue sky interspersed with dark clouds, very pretty!
The high today was 58F (14C) and tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, warmer and no wind, how good is that!
Tonight I will make dinner inside, linguine with Alfredo sauce and shrimp, that way we don’t have to worry about trying to grill in the wind. Another quiet evening is in store, and probably an early evening, as again we are tired after another travel day.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
We took I-40 from Tucumcari to Santa Rosa, then picked up Highway 54 south to Almagordo. Highway 54 was good most of the way but there was about a 100 km (60 miles) stretch where it wasn’t real great and no shoulders. There was very little traffic so that was a help during the rougher part.
Driving Through New Mexico
We were going to stay at Edgington RV Park in Alamagordo, it is a Passport America Park and we had stayed there two years ago and it was quite nice but when we got there it was pretty well full. We had passed the Boot Hill RV Resort a couple of miles back so turned around and went back there, a good move, as it is a really nice park and for one night we got the PA rate of $13.25 – how good it that!! There is free wi-fi here and long pull thrus, a really nice park.
Boot Hill RV Resort
We are back in the part of the country we love with mountains, mesas and lots of nothing for miles. The mountains here are really pretty tonight with the sun and shadows and blue sky interspersed with dark clouds, very pretty!
The high today was 58F (14C) and tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, warmer and no wind, how good is that!
Tonight I will make dinner inside, linguine with Alfredo sauce and shrimp, that way we don’t have to worry about trying to grill in the wind. Another quiet evening is in store, and probably an early evening, as again we are tired after another travel day.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Today was another travel day and we traveled through four states on Highway 54 starting in Kansas, then Oklahoma, Texas and ending up for the night in Tucumcari NM. The morning started out drizzly but after about a half hour the sun was out and it was sunny, but cool, the rest of the day. The high today was 51F (10C) but it was pleasant in the sun.
Highway 54 was busy through Kansas but the traffic thinned out considerably when we got into Oklahoma but lots of transports. As Al of the Bayfield Bunch said, you have to keep those tires rolling along here. The day was mostly driving through the plains and we saw 6 or 7 very long trains and a couple of huge feed lots – could smell them long before seeing them!!
We saw a lot of these trucks running the railway tracks
Driving Through the Plains
We arrived at Mountain Road RV Park in Tucumcari about 3:30, having lost an hour when entering New Mexico – we are now on Mountain Time so 2 hours behind home. I decided to do a load of laundry when we got here so that I wouldn’t have to be running out to do laundry as soon as we get to Yuma. This is an okay park for overnight, the site is just barely long enough for us not to have to unhook. Certainly no “it” factor here, but for an overnight it is fine.
While the load was washing I came back and vacuumed and dusted then went back and stayed until it was dry. There were two other couples in there and in chatting it turned out the one fellow had a birthday today – he is 87 years old and still driving a See Ya Motorhome – good for him!
John grilled steak for dinner – yummy. I don’t know why but driving days are always so tiring, and I don’t even do the driving! Anyways, it will be an early night for us.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Highway 54 was busy through Kansas but the traffic thinned out considerably when we got into Oklahoma but lots of transports. As Al of the Bayfield Bunch said, you have to keep those tires rolling along here. The day was mostly driving through the plains and we saw 6 or 7 very long trains and a couple of huge feed lots – could smell them long before seeing them!!
We saw a lot of these trucks running the railway tracks
Driving Through the Plains
We arrived at Mountain Road RV Park in Tucumcari about 3:30, having lost an hour when entering New Mexico – we are now on Mountain Time so 2 hours behind home. I decided to do a load of laundry when we got here so that I wouldn’t have to be running out to do laundry as soon as we get to Yuma. This is an okay park for overnight, the site is just barely long enough for us not to have to unhook. Certainly no “it” factor here, but for an overnight it is fine.
While the load was washing I came back and vacuumed and dusted then went back and stayed until it was dry. There were two other couples in there and in chatting it turned out the one fellow had a birthday today – he is 87 years old and still driving a See Ya Motorhome – good for him!
John grilled steak for dinner – yummy. I don’t know why but driving days are always so tiring, and I don’t even do the driving! Anyways, it will be an early night for us.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
We didn’t get a real early start this morning as it was too cold to want to get going! John finally started getting us hooked up around 9:15 and then he went over to get propane but they owners were out until 10, so we waited for them to return so we could get our empty tank filled. So, by the time we got on the road it was about 10:30.
Crossing the Missouri River - Again
We had a good drive today, went around Kansas City and picked up I-35 to Emporium KS where we picked up the Kansas toll road. We took the toll road to Witchita, about 100 miles, and it cost us $12.25 – YIKES, a three axle trailer is expensive on those darn toll roads and bridges!! The trip through Witchita was great and we arrived at Pratt KS around 5 p.m.
We are at the Evergreen Motel & RV Park, not the greatest place but it has full hookups and free wi-fi so at least we check our e-mail and surf the net. There is no cable TV and the antenna is only picking up one channel so we are limited in what we can watch, but that doesn’t bother me at all as I’m not a great TV fan anyways. The park is full which surprised us until we realized they are all hunters, guess this hunting season and this is a good area for hunting.
No pictures today, not a lot of interesting scenery - lots of farmland.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Crossing the Missouri River - Again
We had a good drive today, went around Kansas City and picked up I-35 to Emporium KS where we picked up the Kansas toll road. We took the toll road to Witchita, about 100 miles, and it cost us $12.25 – YIKES, a three axle trailer is expensive on those darn toll roads and bridges!! The trip through Witchita was great and we arrived at Pratt KS around 5 p.m.
We are at the Evergreen Motel & RV Park, not the greatest place but it has full hookups and free wi-fi so at least we check our e-mail and surf the net. There is no cable TV and the antenna is only picking up one channel so we are limited in what we can watch, but that doesn’t bother me at all as I’m not a great TV fan anyways. The park is full which surprised us until we realized they are all hunters, guess this hunting season and this is a good area for hunting.
No pictures today, not a lot of interesting scenery - lots of farmland.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Today was as forecast, a wet miserable day and much cooler. John was off this morning to get the differential oil changed and it turned out to be an effort in frustration before it was finished. When they said it was ready he got in the truck and found there were 3 quarts of oil left over, seeing as it takes 8 quarts and that is what he had bought it took him a while to convince them that it wasn’t filled and to get it back up and recheck the dip stick – guess what it wasn’t full!! They then put in the rest of the oil and he got out of there but not before he was pretty ticked off, it sure leaves you hoping you never have to return to this dealer for work again.
I had a very quiet day, reading and on the computer – not very exciting.
Tonight we went to Applebee’s for dinner – very good and it was nice not to have to cook. We were seated at a table beside a couple with 4 very small children, between the ages of 1 and 4 I would guess, and we couldn’t believe how well behaved they were, I told the parents that when they were leaving.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
I had a very quiet day, reading and on the computer – not very exciting.
Tonight we went to Applebee’s for dinner – very good and it was nice not to have to cook. We were seated at a table beside a couple with 4 very small children, between the ages of 1 and 4 I would guess, and we couldn’t believe how well behaved they were, I told the parents that when they were leaving.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Today is Remembrance Day and we remember those who fought to give us freedom.
Today is also John’s sister Barb’s birthday, happy birthday Barb and we hope you enjoy your dinner with friends tonight.
Today was much cooler with a high of 53F (11C) but it was mostly sunny so not a bad day at all.
Independence MO is the hometown of Harry S. Truman and his home is a National Site so we thought we would drive down and check it out. We had toured the National Site in Johnson City TX for LBJ and found it very interesting so we were hoping to find the same for Truman – NOT! We went to the National Site office and were told that we could get a tour of the house at 4:30, the last one of the day, so we passed on that as it was only 11:30 when we got there. They had a video that we watched and what a disappointment, the video barely recognized that he was President of the United States, except to say he missed his home when he had to be in Washington, and it was all about the house he lived in. There was no mention of any of the things he accomplished while President or what the world was going through at the time – extremely disappointing!
We drove around a bit but Independence seemed like it has seen better days although we did see this church and the spire was really different – we think it is a Mormon Church. Also there were some pretty trees with their leaves still on and we saw one really nice looking hold home.
Church Spire
Pretty Older Home
Missouri River at Independence MO
Casino On Missouri River
Back in St. Joseph we did a bit of shopping then came home, not a real exciting day but nevertheless an enjoyable one. The rain has started and tomorrow is supposed to be cool and rainy – oh joy! Fortunately tonight’s dinner was left overs so John didn’t have to go out in the rain to grill.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Today is also John’s sister Barb’s birthday, happy birthday Barb and we hope you enjoy your dinner with friends tonight.
Today was much cooler with a high of 53F (11C) but it was mostly sunny so not a bad day at all.
Independence MO is the hometown of Harry S. Truman and his home is a National Site so we thought we would drive down and check it out. We had toured the National Site in Johnson City TX for LBJ and found it very interesting so we were hoping to find the same for Truman – NOT! We went to the National Site office and were told that we could get a tour of the house at 4:30, the last one of the day, so we passed on that as it was only 11:30 when we got there. They had a video that we watched and what a disappointment, the video barely recognized that he was President of the United States, except to say he missed his home when he had to be in Washington, and it was all about the house he lived in. There was no mention of any of the things he accomplished while President or what the world was going through at the time – extremely disappointing!
We drove around a bit but Independence seemed like it has seen better days although we did see this church and the spire was really different – we think it is a Mormon Church. Also there were some pretty trees with their leaves still on and we saw one really nice looking hold home.
Church Spire
Pretty Older Home
Missouri River at Independence MO
Casino On Missouri River
Back in St. Joseph we did a bit of shopping then came home, not a real exciting day but nevertheless an enjoyable one. The rain has started and tomorrow is supposed to be cool and rainy – oh joy! Fortunately tonight’s dinner was left overs so John didn’t have to go out in the rain to grill.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Today is my brother Art's birthday, happy birthday Art and hope you are enjoying your cruise.
Weather wise today was another nice, mainly sunny, day but not as warm as it has been - the high today was 63F (17C) so still not too bad.
We headed out this morning with our first stop at Mr. Dodge to see about getting the oil in the differential changed but when they quoted a price of $29/quart, and it takes 8 quarts, John said thanks but no thanks. John wants to use Amsoil Severe Gear Oil as it is supposed to be the best so we stopped at a few auto parts places to check out the cost and couldn’t find it for less than $22/quart so we gave up on that.
We wanted to check out a couple of the historical sights but the Patee House Museum which looked interesting was closed, open on Saturdays only. Okay, on to the next one which was open, this was the St. Joseph Museum which include the Glore Psychiatric Museum and the Black Archives Museum, it cost us $5 as we had a coupon for one free admittance and it was certainly worth it.
The Glore Psychiatiric Museum was really interesting but my heart bled for any person who was committed to one of these institutions, what torture they put them through. The pictures tell the story.
They had one patient who liked to swallow small objects and when they operated on the person this is what they found (a listing of the contents and a picture). The person died on the operating table.
Hydra Therapy
Restraints
Restraining Chair
Utica Crib
People were kept like this for months or even years at a time
Where the word 'Bedlam" came from
The Pony Express started here in St. Joseph and lasted for all of 18 months. The museum had pictures of all the riders for the express and where they were from and there was one from Prince Edward Island. There was also this fellow, George Washington Perkins, wonder if he was a distant relative!
When we got home John got on the internet to check out the oil for the differential and found a fellow about 15 miles from here who sold it for $11/quart – wow, what a difference. He gave us directions to his place so we headed out to pick it up and then on the way back stopped at Mr. Dodge and made an appointment for Friday morning to have it changed.
This evening is another quiet one, dinner and reading or watching TV.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Weather wise today was another nice, mainly sunny, day but not as warm as it has been - the high today was 63F (17C) so still not too bad.
We headed out this morning with our first stop at Mr. Dodge to see about getting the oil in the differential changed but when they quoted a price of $29/quart, and it takes 8 quarts, John said thanks but no thanks. John wants to use Amsoil Severe Gear Oil as it is supposed to be the best so we stopped at a few auto parts places to check out the cost and couldn’t find it for less than $22/quart so we gave up on that.
We wanted to check out a couple of the historical sights but the Patee House Museum which looked interesting was closed, open on Saturdays only. Okay, on to the next one which was open, this was the St. Joseph Museum which include the Glore Psychiatric Museum and the Black Archives Museum, it cost us $5 as we had a coupon for one free admittance and it was certainly worth it.
The Glore Psychiatiric Museum was really interesting but my heart bled for any person who was committed to one of these institutions, what torture they put them through. The pictures tell the story.
They had one patient who liked to swallow small objects and when they operated on the person this is what they found (a listing of the contents and a picture). The person died on the operating table.
Hydra Therapy
Restraints
Restraining Chair
Utica Crib
People were kept like this for months or even years at a time
Where the word 'Bedlam" came from
The Pony Express started here in St. Joseph and lasted for all of 18 months. The museum had pictures of all the riders for the express and where they were from and there was one from Prince Edward Island. There was also this fellow, George Washington Perkins, wonder if he was a distant relative!
When we got home John got on the internet to check out the oil for the differential and found a fellow about 15 miles from here who sold it for $11/quart – wow, what a difference. He gave us directions to his place so we headed out to pick it up and then on the way back stopped at Mr. Dodge and made an appointment for Friday morning to have it changed.
This evening is another quiet one, dinner and reading or watching TV.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Boy, I hate repeating myself but today was another spectacular day – sunny with a high of 21C (72F), wow, that’s not too shabby for November!
Today we drove across Missouri, from the Mississippi River in the east to the Missouri River in the west and are now in St. Joseph, MO. The trip today was good, we drove Highway 36 all the way and it was a divided 4 lane highway with little traffic – just the way we like it! The only down side to the drive was that there were no rest areas, truck stops or picnic areas the whole way, we had to get off the highway once to make a quick stop.
There are no pictures today as it was pretty well the same countryside we have seen for the last four days – lots of farm land with small towns along the way.
We are at Beacon RV Park in St. Joseph and will be here for a few days. The park is quiet but rather old infrastructure and uneven sites, on the positive side the owners were very friendly and helpful and the wi-fi is excellent, worth the price of $1.50/night.
Tomorrow will be an exploring day, hopefully I will have more to write about and some pictures so stay tuned. The weather is supposed to be sunny again but cooler – oh well, I knew this great stuff was too good to last!!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Today we drove across Missouri, from the Mississippi River in the east to the Missouri River in the west and are now in St. Joseph, MO. The trip today was good, we drove Highway 36 all the way and it was a divided 4 lane highway with little traffic – just the way we like it! The only down side to the drive was that there were no rest areas, truck stops or picnic areas the whole way, we had to get off the highway once to make a quick stop.
There are no pictures today as it was pretty well the same countryside we have seen for the last four days – lots of farm land with small towns along the way.
We are at Beacon RV Park in St. Joseph and will be here for a few days. The park is quiet but rather old infrastructure and uneven sites, on the positive side the owners were very friendly and helpful and the wi-fi is excellent, worth the price of $1.50/night.
Tomorrow will be an exploring day, hopefully I will have more to write about and some pictures so stay tuned. The weather is supposed to be sunny again but cooler – oh well, I knew this great stuff was too good to last!!
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Today was another absolutely gorgeous day, lots of sunshine and a high of 20C (70F) – nothing to complain about there.
We headed into Hannibal today to see what there is to see, as usual this time of year most of the attractions are closed – i.e. no river boat cruises, etc. so we drove around Hannibal for a bit and checked out the historical district – nothing that drew our attention there. We stopped to take a picture of the statute of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn and climbed up the first section of steps to the old Mark Twain Bridge across the Mississippi, this bridge was replaced in 2000 and the structure across the river was demolished but the original part in Hannibal has been preserved.
Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn Statute
Old Mark Twain Memorial Bridge
Mississippi River at Hannibal
We then found the shopping malls and stopped at J C Penney where I managed to find a couple of long sleeved tops on sale, then it was on to Wally World for a couple of things we didn’t get at the last stop.
We decided to take Highway 79 back as it runs along the river and is named the “The Little Dixie Highway of the Great River”, an interesting name. There was another lock along this section of Highway so we detoured off to check it out but there was no viewing section and no barges in sight so we carried on. We then found a lookout with a nice view of the Mississippi and then a couple of miles down the road we ran into a detour which took us a long way back to the main highway (and no, Kelly, I was not using the GPS for this!!). So much for the scenic drive all the way home!
View from Lookout
Looking Across to Illinois
We finally got home and I decided to do a couple of loads of laundry while John got us hooked up, the laundry cost $3.50 to wash & dry two loads, sure a difference from Green Acre in Waterloo where it cost $8.00 for the same things.
While I was taking the laundry over I noticed a new trailer had arrived, it was from Ontario and was a Smart Car pulling a VERY SMALL tent trailer, quite the combination! Just chatted for a minute and they are from north of Toronto and are heading for Austin, TX, sure hope they get nice weather as I think it would be very cold in the tent trailer if they hit temperatures like we had last Saturday night.
John grilled burgers for dinner and I made coleslaw, an easy but good dinner. Tonight is web surfing and watching TV.
We have no cell phone service here so I haven’t been able to talk to our children, hopefully tomorrow we will have some service.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
We headed into Hannibal today to see what there is to see, as usual this time of year most of the attractions are closed – i.e. no river boat cruises, etc. so we drove around Hannibal for a bit and checked out the historical district – nothing that drew our attention there. We stopped to take a picture of the statute of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn and climbed up the first section of steps to the old Mark Twain Bridge across the Mississippi, this bridge was replaced in 2000 and the structure across the river was demolished but the original part in Hannibal has been preserved.
Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn Statute
Old Mark Twain Memorial Bridge
Mississippi River at Hannibal
We then found the shopping malls and stopped at J C Penney where I managed to find a couple of long sleeved tops on sale, then it was on to Wally World for a couple of things we didn’t get at the last stop.
We decided to take Highway 79 back as it runs along the river and is named the “The Little Dixie Highway of the Great River”, an interesting name. There was another lock along this section of Highway so we detoured off to check it out but there was no viewing section and no barges in sight so we carried on. We then found a lookout with a nice view of the Mississippi and then a couple of miles down the road we ran into a detour which took us a long way back to the main highway (and no, Kelly, I was not using the GPS for this!!). So much for the scenic drive all the way home!
View from Lookout
Looking Across to Illinois
We finally got home and I decided to do a couple of loads of laundry while John got us hooked up, the laundry cost $3.50 to wash & dry two loads, sure a difference from Green Acre in Waterloo where it cost $8.00 for the same things.
While I was taking the laundry over I noticed a new trailer had arrived, it was from Ontario and was a Smart Car pulling a VERY SMALL tent trailer, quite the combination! Just chatted for a minute and they are from north of Toronto and are heading for Austin, TX, sure hope they get nice weather as I think it would be very cold in the tent trailer if they hit temperatures like we had last Saturday night.
John grilled burgers for dinner and I made coleslaw, an easy but good dinner. Tonight is web surfing and watching TV.
We have no cell phone service here so I haven’t been able to talk to our children, hopefully tomorrow we will have some service.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
What a difference a day makes, the temperature last night didn’t go below freezing and we woke up this morning to brilliant sunshine – now this is more like what we are looking for!!
We enjoyed the two hour gain in time and this morning we didn’t rush to leave as we were only going 305 km (189 miles). We arrived at Cozy C RV Campground at Bowling Green MO about 1:30 after a quiet drive through central Illinois. We were on I-72 for most of the trip and there was very little traffic, sure do like these kind of days. Cozy C is a nice little campground on Highway 54 just east of Bowling Green, it has very long pull thrus and at this time of year it is quite quiet, only about 6 other RV’s here. The wi-fi isn’t very good, sigh, but I am kind of getting used to that, don’t know if I will be able to post this tonight, I might have to add the pictures later.
Crossing the Illinois River
Court House at Pittfield IL
A Single Windmill
Crossing the Mississippi
When we were checking in I asked the owner about things to do in the area and he mentioned the lock on the Mississippi River at Clarksville was interesting. Now, we had no idea there were locks along the Mississippi but after setting up we headed to Clarksville to check it out and found out that there are 28 locks between Minneapolis/St. Paul and St. Louis and the one we visited was lock no. 24.
We lucked out as there was a barge heading south so we got to watch it going through the lock, it turns out this lock is only 600’ long and the barge was 1200’ so they had to break the barge into two groups to pass through the lock separately, this is called a double lockage and can take up to two hours. We watched the first half go through but didn’t wait for the second half as we wanted to be home before dark but it was very interesting to watch. As the barge was approaching the lock another barge went out and pushed it into line for the lock, the current is so strong the it tends to push the barge away from the lock. There was another barge waiting to go north so it is still a busy time along the Mississippi. I was chatting with a couple of the workers and they said the boats are lowered about 4-5’ in the lock – it doesn’t seem like a lot but I guess it really is.
Dam at Clarksville
Barge Approaching Lock
Entering the Lock
Front of Barge Going By Us
Now They Are In The Lock
They've Been Broken - You Can See the Gate Between the Barges
The First Half Exiting the Lock
Looking Down on Barges In the Lock
Tug Waiting to Enter Lock
Today we had a high of 70F (20C) – sure can’t ask for much better than that for the 7th of November and apparently it is supposed to be like this for about 4 or 5 more days, we sure won’t complain if it stays like this!
Five years ago today we were in an accident on I-95 at Rocky Mount NC, we lost our trailer, two people were killed instantly but John and I weren’t hurt; the Lord was looking after us big time that day and we are so very thankful that we survived and continue to enjoy traveling in our Airstream and finding all these new and wonderful places to visit and enjoy.
John grilled salmon for dinner tonight – it was very yummy and it was a great night for grilling.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
We enjoyed the two hour gain in time and this morning we didn’t rush to leave as we were only going 305 km (189 miles). We arrived at Cozy C RV Campground at Bowling Green MO about 1:30 after a quiet drive through central Illinois. We were on I-72 for most of the trip and there was very little traffic, sure do like these kind of days. Cozy C is a nice little campground on Highway 54 just east of Bowling Green, it has very long pull thrus and at this time of year it is quite quiet, only about 6 other RV’s here. The wi-fi isn’t very good, sigh, but I am kind of getting used to that, don’t know if I will be able to post this tonight, I might have to add the pictures later.
Crossing the Illinois River
Court House at Pittfield IL
A Single Windmill
Crossing the Mississippi
When we were checking in I asked the owner about things to do in the area and he mentioned the lock on the Mississippi River at Clarksville was interesting. Now, we had no idea there were locks along the Mississippi but after setting up we headed to Clarksville to check it out and found out that there are 28 locks between Minneapolis/St. Paul and St. Louis and the one we visited was lock no. 24.
We lucked out as there was a barge heading south so we got to watch it going through the lock, it turns out this lock is only 600’ long and the barge was 1200’ so they had to break the barge into two groups to pass through the lock separately, this is called a double lockage and can take up to two hours. We watched the first half go through but didn’t wait for the second half as we wanted to be home before dark but it was very interesting to watch. As the barge was approaching the lock another barge went out and pushed it into line for the lock, the current is so strong the it tends to push the barge away from the lock. There was another barge waiting to go north so it is still a busy time along the Mississippi. I was chatting with a couple of the workers and they said the boats are lowered about 4-5’ in the lock – it doesn’t seem like a lot but I guess it really is.
Dam at Clarksville
Barge Approaching Lock
Entering the Lock
Front of Barge Going By Us
Now They Are In The Lock
They've Been Broken - You Can See the Gate Between the Barges
The First Half Exiting the Lock
Looking Down on Barges In the Lock
Tug Waiting to Enter Lock
Today we had a high of 70F (20C) – sure can’t ask for much better than that for the 7th of November and apparently it is supposed to be like this for about 4 or 5 more days, we sure won’t complain if it stays like this!
Five years ago today we were in an accident on I-95 at Rocky Mount NC, we lost our trailer, two people were killed instantly but John and I weren’t hurt; the Lord was looking after us big time that day and we are so very thankful that we survived and continue to enjoy traveling in our Airstream and finding all these new and wonderful places to visit and enjoy.
John grilled salmon for dinner tonight – it was very yummy and it was a great night for grilling.
And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another good tomorrow.
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