The 'luxury' of motel rooms and restaurants got old very quickly. Although the last review was originally scheduled for Saturday, the owners were very accommodating and we did Clearwater, BC (review # 92) a day early. When we wrapped it up about 1:30 Friday afternoon, we decided to point the car south and head 'home'; albeit it's still not 'home, home'.
We were treated to herds of big horn sheep at the beginning of our trek along the Canadian Rockies and then again as we left the area. It's amazing to us that these wild creatures show no fear of humans - or vehicles.
We also took time to stop at a huge glacier and Roger got some awesome pictures. The weather cooperated this year and it is one of the most scenic drives we've ever taken.
Last year the 8% downgrades coming south made me extremely nervous, but I blamed it on towing a 38 foot fifth wheel behind us. However, those same grades are no better in a rental car. They are just plain scary! So glad that portion of the route is behind us.
Turned the rental car in this morning, saving a couple days on the cost. Spent some time then pricing the dishwasher I picked out, buying supplies, and getting prescriptions refilled. Have decided to buy it at Sears, and the sales guy was generous enough to tell us that it was going on sale tomorrow, so it would be worth waiting one more day. So we'll venture out again tomorrow and make our big purchase. We get some strange looks when we tell them we want to pick it up in Oklahoma! But as is always a danger when shopping for one thing . . . I found a washer & dryer that I fell in love with! Maybe next year. Roger still has a TV to buy when we get home.
This afternoon we've spent getting re-acquainted with our recliners. Pulled some left-overs out of the freezer and popped them in the crock pot. It's a good day.
What a delightful surprise for these two dog lovers! But first, to get from there to here.
The day had been a bit stressful; dealing with the unknown always is. Had a good exit review with the folks at the Burlington, WA KOA – then it was time to pack up for our time across the border. With the blessings of our boss, we had made arrangements to leave the yellow rig stored at this KOA, and rented a car for our trek to Canada.
Over the years we have had so many major hassles with the border crossings – the yellow rig just is not well received at the Canadian border. The major issue seems to be the Canadians concern that we are ‘stealing’ work from Canadian citizens. Last year they requested documents that do not seem to exit (per the KOA legal experts), so it was decided that this season we would simply go in as KOA employees on holiday. In reality, that is just what we are . . . for after dragging that 38 foot of trailer around since mid-March, a few motel rooms with unlimited hot water for showers is in indeed a ‘vacation’! Add the luxury of getting to eat out for a few days; and we call that a pure holiday. True, five reviews to do in the process, but we will also get to see lots of beautiful country as we drive between the parks. Picking up the car went without a hitch and we were soon headed north. We breezed through the border with only a bit of a ‘language’ issue. The border guard couldn’t understand Roger’s Oklahoma ‘english’ and he couldn’t understand her Canadian 'twang’.
Having planned for delays, and having none, put us in Canada about 3 hours prior to our reserved ferry sailing of 7:00 p.m. Drove around a bit until we found the “abc Country Restaurant” and it seemed a pretty safe choice for an early supper. Got a bit of a shock when we ordered ‘unsweetened ice tea’ only to be told they had none . . . only sweet tea! (Thought I was in Virginia again!)
I was so shocked I looked at the waiter and said, “You are kidding, right?” He assured me he was not. He then stated the only ‘unsweetened’ tea they had was ‘regular’ tea, and it was definitely not iced. Although both Roger & I have taken ourselves off carbonated diet drinks, we opted for a known and ordered a couple of Diet Cokes.
Roger’s meal of fish & chips . . . and mine of a bacon cheddar steak burger – complete with a side of wonderful homemade onion rings hit the spot. Frankly, our bodies haven’t ingested that much ‘grease’ in months. . . not since our last Del Rancho sandwich, anyway!
We lingered as long as we thought we could, then decided to head on to the ferry to Vancouver Island, arriving about 5:30. Thinking we still had another 90 minutes to kill, we delighted to find that there was a possibility of room on the 6:00 p.m. sailing, so our wait was short and sweet. Even lucked out and got one of the newer ships and our car ended up parked right by the elevator.
A very smooth sailing of about an hour and a half – and we were even treated to a pod of Orca whales frolicking alongside our ship, right outside our window.
Life is good, but then it got better! Drove off the ferry at Swartz Bay and headed south towards Victoria, looking for a likely motel for the night. Spotted a Super 8 that looked promising, but they only had one room left . . . and it was a smoking room. We declined and headed across the street to the Quality Inn, built in the English Tudor style.
When Roger came back to the car with the room key, he smiled and said, “There is a Basset Hound behind the registration desk.” He then handed me the key card and it said “Waddling Dog Inn”. Sure enough, the little sweetie was still on duty when I stopped to say hello. It made our day!
The interior of the inn is just as charming as the outside, and one gets the feeling that you’ve landed right in the middle of an old English hunt club. Pictures of Bassets, Basset figurines, even iron work Bassets on the exterior window sills, and best of all, a real live Basset!
We 'officially' met "John" the next morning. . . and learned he is actually "John the fourth", with a personality all his own. His owner tells us that he definitely appreciates the finer points of 'napping' - which is probably why we are such fans of the Basset Hound. They truly fit our chosen life style.
A very quiet 4th of July for us . . . rest was the order of the weekend.
Spent Friday morning finishing up the review here at the Ellensburg, WA KOA - then drove the 40 miles south to Yakima to do some shopping, errands and the ever present laundry! Wanted to get it all done on Friday, so we could truly have two whole days OFF!
Our Independance Day treat was chicken & noodles - Roger's favorite. I know that seems a bit strange, but we so seldom sit still long enough to put a chicken in the pot! Made enough that I fear we will be tired of them before they are gone. At home there is always lots of very willing family to help us eat them!
Did some shopping for a dishwasher - lots of looking - then decided to come back and do some research on-line. As always, I start out wanting the 'latest & greatest' - and usually most expensive, then talk myself into mid-range and sensible. Am giving serious consideration to a 'Bosch' - which has been rated #1 for the last three years.
I had been complaining loud and long about disliking my present dishwasher - the one that came with the house. So Randy & Shelly kindly took it off my hands earlier this summer, when theirs quit. Knowing I would have to purchase one when we returned home, the necessity of it became a bit more urgent when we learned that our house was the scheduled site for a couple of wedding showers in late August. After doing our research, it looks like we will indeed need to purchase it before we get to Oklahoma - to allow time for it to be shipped - even when purchasing it from Sears or Lowe's. Roger's thinking that if we go ahead and get it bought - just maybe the boys will find a way to get it installed before we get home! LOL
This week we head into our least favorite part of this Western region. Not because of the KOAs - or the owners - but because of the difficulty we have moving around in this area. We head to Seattle/Tacoma today - and should encounter the first of the world-renowned TRAFFIC! Then we head north for three visits, before heading on into Canada. The campgrounds are 400+ miles apart up there. Lots of beautiful scenery, but the Canadian Rockies make the US mountains look pretty tame. Then when we finish with the mountains, we have to face the ferry rides to and from the Victoria KOA on the island. Once we get back on US soil, it will be one more ferry ride over to the Port Angeles KOA - and then it should be smooth sailing south for the rest of the season. The only drawback then will be the heat!
But, at least, we are on the downhill run now. With luck, we should finish up mid August. We'll now be leaving the rig in Las Vegas, which will make it much easier to arrange for end-of-the season service on the truck & fifth wheel, as well as making it easier to catch a flight home.
Our new target date for home is now the third week in August. The wedding shower is scheduled for August 22nd and would at least like to get home and battle the dust bunnies before anyone else has too!
Eighty-three parks complete . . . which means only 30 MOL left to do! Not so bad if you say it REAL fast!
Yes, when I typed this, we were stranded!50 miles from Kooskia, Idaho in one direction and 100 miles short of Missoula, Montana in the other.
Highway 12 – one of the most beautiful stretches of road we have ever traveled! Lots of twists and turns as it follows the Lochsa River, which is almost continuously white water.
BUT, it is also a very deserted stretch of highway. We departed the McCall, Idaho KOA right on schedule, knowing we had a long travel day, with 265 miles of state highway ahead.Although the state highways are always the prettier route, they are never a quick one.
Not too long after our turn on to Highway 12 at Kooskia, Idaho, we ran in to road construction.After following the pilot car through the maze, we were stopped at the end and told we had a flat tire on the trailer.Going so slow through the road construction, we just weren’t aware of it.Thankfully there was an area where we could pull over and Roger changed out the tire.
Thinking all was well, we headed out again.Only on the road about 30 minutes, when Roger pulled over to let the cars behind us pass, only to see smoke boiling out of the axle where he had just changed tire.Much to our chagrin, we discovered that tire #2 was also ruined!On more detailed inspection, Roger found that a spring & shackle had broken and was evidently the cause of the ruined tires.This stretch of winding road was obviously just the last ‘straw’ for the suspension of the trailer.
What does one do when you are 50 slow miles from ‘civilization’ in one direction and 100 slow miles in the other direction?Since we had just passed a ranger station/info center about ½ mile back, we unhooked from the trailer and drove back there . . . only to find that it was a ‘historical’ site!Yes, we found a ranger . . . with no phone – or electricity!He directed us back about a mile to an emergency call box.Found that and the voice on the other end took Roger’s AAA information and assured us they would dispatch assistance.
Ninety minutes later a very nice patrolman pulled up, checked to make sure we were ok, visited with Roger a bit, ‘assessed’ our situation, and indicated he would call for a tow vehicle large enough to get our rig off the highway.
Two hours later, a tow truck arrived, far too small to be of any use in hauling the trailer.The trailer couldn’t be ‘towed’ as the rear wheels wouldn’t turn anyway!But the guys couldn’t have been nicer and worked over two more hours trying to ‘fix’ the trailer where we could at least pull in to the “Wilderness Gateway” national park campground for the night.Finally, about 9:30 – just before dark – we limped in to this beautiful – but ‘wilderness’ campground, on three tires.They had even tried putting the truck spare tire on, but it wouldn’t work.For those of you who aren’t campers, ‘wilderness’is just that – no electricity, no water, no sewer hookups!Now I know some folks think that ‘wilderness’ camping is their idea of ‘fun’ – and it can be if you are prepared for it!But we were not.
Not good news when we are traveling with a chest freezer full of food.Hadn’t bothered to buy ice that morning, thinking we would just grab it when we arrived in Missoula.Guess we wouldn’t qualify for any ‘Boy Scout’ awards, for we were definitely not prepared for this!
To make matters worse (if that was possible!) Roger missed the turn into the ‘loop’ where our site was, and ended up having to back the rig back a hill about a quarter of a mile.That was just about the last straw for this girl, and a melt-down was brewing.
A few days later. . .
I'm happy to report that the next day, about 1:30 in the afternoon, a young man with a portable welder pulled up and proceeded to spend the next two hours working on our trailer, welding it back together. About 4:00 p.m. we closed up the trailer and tentatively tried out 'wings'. When nothing snapped, crackled or popped, we headed on north, making it in to Missoula about 6:30 that evening. Boy, were we glad to get back to civilization! Thankfully our freezer was nearly full and the food made it through two days of no electricity with flying colors.
Since we had no way to communicate, we had sent a message with the tow truck driver to call our boss at the Home Office and alert him to our predicament, and ask him to call the Missoula KOA and tell them of our delay. Well, talk about the child's game of "gossip"! By the time we got to Missoula that evening, the story was that the 'axle had come out from under the trailer and we were in an accident . . .' Far from the truth, but that's how easily things get twisted. Me thinks that the tow guy was trying to tell our boss what 'could' have happened, instead of what actually happened . . . or maybe it just lost something in the translation!
But with that 'adventure' behind us, we decided to do two reviews in one day so we wouldn't have to reschedule several parks. Had a beautiful morning at Missoula, but by the time we arrived at Deer Lodge (about 90 miles east), a cold front had come through and we did the walk-about that evening in cold, wet weather. By Saturday morning, the temps were in the low 40's and headed lower.
Our next stop was a bit south in Dillon. Woke up Sunday, June 7th, - our 40th wedding anniversary! Opened the door to find it was SNOWING! Made for a memorable anniversary anyways! But for us, right now, it was just another day. We'll take time to celebrate this fall with our cruise to Mexico.
So here it is June and we'll spend most of this month in Montana. Had scheduled two nights in Butte, as our boss was scheduled to meet up with us there for three visits. Got word at the last minute that his plans had changed, so we actually had a bit of down time to catch our breath. At the suggestion of the new owners there, we did their exit review at Muzz & Stan's Freeway Bar - over their infamous Whop Chop sandwich! Its a fried pork chop that literally is so tender it melts in your mouth! Made for a nice break.
As I write this tonight, we are at the Bozeman KOA - one of our favorites. They have a beautiful pool and splash park complex here and it always makes me wish the grandkids were here to enjoy it. This is also the place where Roger always finds his huckleberry ice cream - and I noticed he slipped a couple of pints in the freezer this evening.
We'll land in Billings early next week and plan to take the trailer in to the dealership for a check up. It will be nice to sit still for about 3 days and hopefully catch up with some old friends. But we won't let any moss grow, for we'll be back on the road again as soon as the trailer has a clean bill of health.
I always have to go back and read my last post to know where to start! Always makes me feel a bit guilty, though, when I realize how long it has been since I updated my blog.
We did avoid the warm inland temperatures while on the coast of Oregon . . . a bit too cool for my comfort. After our time on the coast, we headed back inland a bit where we had a nice weekend stay at the Corvalis, OR KOA (just south of Salem), catching up on routine household chores, as well as doing their review. Had a really nice visit with Mike & Priscilla Greig (owners). The KOA was built on the family farm that has been in the family for many generations. Seems that when Priscilla's great-grandmother was being courted by the young fellow that would become her great-grandfather . . . her dad required that the young man become a land-owner before he would consent to the marriage! So he bought this piece of land and built a home . . . and as they say, "the rest is history"! Mike & Priscilla still live in the home that her grandparents built after the original home burnt down in the early 1900's.
Onward and upward, stopping at Salem and then heading west to Pendleton. Our drive that day paralleled the Columbia River . . . and it was beautiful in spite of the intermittent rain showers. Although the temps were still very cool, we were not prepared to hear of 9" of snow in the mountains to the east of Pendleton when we stopped for gas before heading to the KOA. I was beginning to regret scheduling an extra day in the area, but it turns out it was for the best, because there was no way we could have made it 'over the mountains & through the woods' with the fresh snowfall. Guess I need to pay a bit more attention to the geography of the areas we are driving through! This Oklahoma gal didn't dream we would still be dodging snow in late April! All I saw was 'interstate' on the map, and thought "No problem!" Thankfully the sun popped out the next day and we had smooth sailing doiwn to Mountain Home, Idaho.
A pleasant one night stop there, loosing an hour as we crossed into Mountain Time. Had rain all the way into Brigham City and we were beginning to wonder just how we were going to accomplish this walk-about. I am always a bit nervous about doing a walk-about in the rain, after my disastrous slip & fall a couple of years ago (which resulted in a broken shoulder). The Lord must have heard my petitions, as the rain all but stopped shortly after we arrived at the park and got our home set up once again.
We completed the walk about and I was sitting at the computer working on the report, when Roger spied this beautiful rainbow out the window. This park sits at the base of Mt. Willard, and is one of the rare spots where you can see the snow covered mountains to the east and the Great Salt Lake to the west. Roger was a good sport (even though he had already taken his shoes off!) and grabbed the camera to get a shot of the rainbow. It's a bit blurry, for it was beginning to rain again. One must grab those moments when they happen, for in just a few minutes, it was only a memory.
The next day found us traveling west again, along the southern edge of the Great Salt Lake. One of my favorite views along this route, is the Morton Salt plant with the mountains of salt waiting to be processed. This is a very desolate 120 mile drive to West Wendover, NV. Another 'quirky' sight, is the miles of flat sand after you pass the lake. For miles and miles it is nothing but salty, sand flats. Motorists often stop - to break the monotony - and write their names in the sand. Why is it that we humans are never satisfied to leave something 'blank'!?! Of course, one has to ignore all the "No Trespassing" signs to do that . . . and it is obvious that many do!
More rain & gusty high winds upon arriving at the KOA. But the next morning, we were greeted with sunshine and the first warm weather we've had since Crescent City, CA. We headed out with our jackets to do the walk-about, but shed them within the first 5 minutes! It felt glorious to soak up the sunshine! Struggled during our stay with my internet connection; kept getting bumped off every few minutes and I was becoming very frustrated. When we went in the next morning to do the exit review, the office was also complaining about having trouble with their WiFi. As we were leaving the store, Roger spied the headlines of the local newspaper: "Military GPS Testing Foils Local Internet". Seems the base/testing grounds just across the border in Utah were training the troops for upcoming duty in Afghanistan. We learned that a lot of essential desert training takes place in this area, for the terrain is very similar to Afghanistan.
I've always said I didn't have any desire to travel overseas, for this great United States has a bit of it all. Another 120 mile drive north, to the Ely, NV KOA. Their 'claim to fame' is being a 398 mile round trip to the nearest Wal Mart! The 'official' greeter here is Scooter, the cutest little Yorkshire Terrier we've ever come across! Sporting his very own yellow KOA kerchief, he hops on the golf cart with "Dad" to lead us to our site, which gave us a beautiful mountain view.
Since this park is 'in the middle of nowhere', owner Chuck Christensen stocks a huge inventory of RV parts. Roger always has to spend time 'inspecting' this area of the store to see if he can find anything he can't live without! :>)
As usual, Roger scheduled our exit review for 9:00 a.m. the next morning. When we arrived at the store, Patty said, "Oh, you're early!" Roger looked at his watch thinking . . . ok, maybe a minute or two. Then glanced at their clock to realize it was only 8:00 a.m. their time! We had completely forgotten that we had crossed back in to Pacific Time when we crossed back in to Nevada!
In our defense, it does get a bit confusing. Although we had been in West Wendover the night before, that town stays on Mountain Time, as it literally straddles the Utah/Nevada border. So it never dawned on us that Ely was a different time zone! As always, we all compromised a bit and made it work.
Finished with Ely, we headed back east, 190 mile trek over more mountains and much desert, to arrive at the Fillmore, Utah KOA - and back to Mountain Time! This one always feels a bit like home, for they have the same style log building that we built at the Oklahoma City KOA. Then it was south 50 miles to Beaver for a night, before landing in Cedar City for the weekend.
Ran in to old friends here, as Jack & Beverly Baker are here helping this park get up and running for the season. The Bakers owned the Moab, UT KOA back in the mid-90's when we had the OKC KOA. In fact, Russ & Randy took a couple months in the spring of '97, to come out and build kabins for the Bakers. Jack & Beverly really hit it off with the boys, and Russ & Randy still talk about what a great time they had 'off roading' with Jack! (I'm also happy to say those kabins are still at the Moab KOA and looking great!)
Mother's Day Weekend is considered a 'holiday' at KOAs nation-wide, as it is our big spring kick-off weekend charity fundraiser that we call "Come Camp & Care With Us Weekend". Campers stay Friday night (paid) and get Saturday night free. Lots of fund-raising activities are held to help support special camps for kids with cancer across the US. So, after a lunch break with the Bakers, we got the walk-about portion of our review done, and will take Saturday & Sunday 'off'!
Got to get the truck serviced, a hair cut for me, a Wal Mart run today . . . and then to kick back & relax.
Here's wishing a Happy Mother's Day to all my favorite moms out there! Have a GREAT day!
As we made our way north through California, with one night in Medford, OR, the highlight of our trip - to date - was our drive from Medford, down Highway 199, back into the California coastal redwoods. Mid-day Saturday, as we turned on to Highway 101, at Crescent City enroute to Eureka, we begin to notice the clouds hovering over the bay. Our drive took us up and at just the right point, Roger pulled off in a rest area so we could take a break and get some pictures. Have flown above the clouds many times, but don't remember driving above them! You could hear the surf crashing onto the rocks below, but you could not see them. As I stood there for a few minutes, just enjoying the view, the clouds begin to shift and we could begin to make out the foamy surf below. An awesome moment in time. One night in Eureka and then we headed back north to Crescent City. Made a couple of stops at little redwood shops in the town of Orick - but didn't find just what we were looking for.
Monday - after doing the walk-about at the park, we again 'shucked the yellow shirts' and paid a visit to the Battery Point lighthouse. One can only walk over - or 'up' actually - during low tide. We had no idea when that would be, but we were lucky enough to hit it. One has to walk down to the ocean bottom and then back up to the lighthouse. Not sure I was up to that, Roger made the walk up to the light so he could get some pics. I wandered around on the beach and picked up a small piece of redwood driftwood to add to my 'lighthouse' bathroom back home. In reading about this lighthouse, I discovered that the reason the light was placed on the 'house' was so that the light keeper could tend to the light without getting out in the elements. It is also called a 'Cape Cod' style, which is not common out here on the West Coast.
Then it was on to make a stop at the local WalMart, one of the few along Highway 101. That should hold us until we stop for next weekend for a couple of nights in Corvalis, OR. Have to admit to having a bit of sticker shock when we found that a gallon of 2% milk was $4.88! Ouch!
Roger is getting hungry for some of his favorite Pecan Sandie dessert. Found everything but the pudding, so that will have to wait another week. Took pity on him though and mixed up a batch of his favorite chocolate chip cookies. That 'infamous' Neiman Marcus cookie recipe has quickly become a family favorite. I brought just enough ingredients to make a batch a month while we are on the road! The trick is that the oatmeal has to be blended into a powder, and I didn't bring my food processor! It also has a mix of walnuts & pecans, which gives it a different twist.
Tuesday found us trekking on north back into Oregon. Temperatures are predicted to be a bit warm inland, but our next week will be spent along the coast. Yesterday (Thursday), driving from North Bend to Waldport, we made a stop at the Sea Lion Caves. When we were here in June last year there was no parking available. Traveling early in the season has its advantages . . .but also disadvantages! This is supposed to the be world's largest sea cave where thousands of these sea lions call home. Wouldn't you know, the one day we were passing that way, was the day they would have the elevator closed for maintenance! Just our luck! On the good side, though, we did get a discounted price for the privilege of walking down to the half way point to see the critters on the rock ledge. And, we got a great shot of Hecata Head light while we were at it! HOWEVER, when one walks down, one must also walk up! Thirty-seven steps and a very long winding trail down, makes for (what seems like) 137 steps and a near vertical climb back up! :>) Even the young ones among us were commenting on the trek back up!
Boy, were we feeling it, and we still have a campground to 'walk-about' when we get to our destination. We did it, but I know we both slept pretty sound last night. All that exercise and fresh ocean air, does make for some 'tired puppies'!
Today should be another pretty drive as we head north again to Lincoln City, before we head inland on Saturday. Looking forward to another Sunday off, for it is time once again to catch up on my least favorite job of doing laundry.
Friday was a very long day . . . making our way across California from Visalia to Santa Margarita. No wrong turns this time.
We passed the spot where James Dean met his demise - a 'claim to fame' that everyone still talks about.
Obviously the San Joaquin Valley is where most of our produce is grown and I think we've about seen a bit of everything! Miles and miles of fields - but then occasionally you come up on fields of oil rigs. They look like a bunch of 'bugs' sitting around, ready to pounce! In Oklahoma we are used to seeing them 'scattered around', sitting in the middle of a residential development or along the highway. But here they are all grouped together. The first we spotted in the Lost Hills area along Highway 46, then another as we drove north on Saturday on Highway 101.
Our trek of 176 miles on Friday took us almost to the coast, turning south at Paso Robles to Santa Margarita. Beautiful country here, and the park is literally right in the mountains. I always feel we need a 4-wheeler to navigate this park. It's big on kabins and tent sites. However, the bathhouses are such a trek - straight up - that I put on my 'secretary' hat and let Roger do the actual inspection of these bath houses. My joints have already started complaining about this damp ocean air, and stairs are just not something they want to do!
Wildlife abounds here and I could have sat and watched the ground squirrels all day long. The only site that 'fits' our big trailer is right on top of one of the lower moutains, and one feels like you are sitting on top of the world. The manager here tells us that it's not unusual to see a hawk swoop down to grab a ground squirrel, only to have a mountain lion leap and grab the hawk! Of course, one has to be further back in the property . . . not anyplace our yellow truck can go (although I think Roger would try!) Hands down, this park is the least developed of our 115, and it has a very faithful following.
Saturday found us heading north to the Santa Cruz area. Since we had not approached it from the south before, we decided to let our GPS, "Sylvia", lead the way. She did a fine job till we were almost there. For some reason, she directed us past the exit that said "Santa Cruz" and sent us two miles further north, only to have us basically make a big U-turn to get back to Highway 183. Go figure. Took us through a couple miles of busy commercial development; I commented that maybe she thought we needed to stop for a hamburger or something, since it was lunch time!
Then, ignoring the directions in the KOA Directory that stated to "exit at San Andreas Road and go 3.5 miles west", Roger blindly followed her through another very populated residential area that was definitely not designed for 38 foot fifth wheels! A VW bug would have been much more suited to those streets! When will we (more specifically Roger!) ever learn!
GPS gadgets are great . . . sometimes . . . but they need some way to program them that you are towing a behemoth!
Oh, I almost forgot . . . romaine lettuce and artichokes! As we traveled up Highway 101, we passed fields and fields of romaine lettuce! Quite a sight! What was even more picturesque was the fields that were bustling with farm hands harvesting it. (Oh, how their backs must ache!) Then we hit Castroville, which proudly advertises themselves as the "Artichoke Capitol of the World"! There was the Artichoke Restaurant, where you could get 'deep fried artichokes" (those folks must have come from Oklahoma!). Then there was the Artichoke Motel . . . wonder if all the rooms have artichoke themed decor?
We began seeing the road side produce markets and I didn't get excited about that until we hit the fields of strawberries! Right in the middle of harvest for those lucious berries, with plants so heavy with fruit that you could see the red as we drove by. Made Roger promise to make a stop on Sunday as we are out and about with only the truck. Think we'll buy a 'flat' and I'll work them up and put them in the freezer! Yum!
We are always treated like royalty here at the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA. It's owned by KOA, and the manager, Sally Phillips (no relation), is one of our favorites. We know her from our time in the North East when she managed the Niagara Falls property. She & her staff greet us like long lost family and furnish us with a golf cart to do the review. This very large park is a bustling city in its own right, with so much fun stuff for kids. The 'newest' thing to come along is the mechanical bull ride! Know our grandkids would love this place!
Had a nice visit with an international guest as we did our 'ride around'. He was asking for 'travel guide' advice about what to see and do in California. Roger kept saying that he could go just about 'anywhere' in that small CruiseAmerica motorhome they were traveling in. Finally the guy grinned and said, "It may seem small to you. . . but it's HUGE to me!" :>)
Up early again today - but must get busy and finish up some reports. Have a day trip to the Moss Landing KOA this afternoon, which should be a breeze as it is a KOA Express. Roger wants to be back in time to watch the OU girls play at 4:00. After all, we have our priorities!
Well, so much for updating every week! Eleven reviews in thirteen days could be the reason. My sis, Linda, says it is because I'm spending entirely too much time on Facebook & Farm Town. Whatever! :>)
One would think, after being married for almost 40 years, and spending 6 months of every year for the past seven cooped up in a truck and fifth wheel . . . that Roger and I would know each other pretty well. . . ya think?
Well, one thing I do know - is that regardless of that . . . "men are from Mars and women are from Venus!" We are a perfect example of that! Not sure why we seem to be noticing this about each other this year - but it's gotten to be downright comical! Neither way is 'wrong' - we just view situations from such different viewpoints! Sure keeps life interesting!
One would also think that after all this time we would be about 'talked out'. But just the other day, as we left San Diego, and got on I-805 headed north to Lake Isabella . . . my instructions to Roger were to go north till we merged on I-15 and keep trucking. Can't even remember what we were talking about, but the next thing I know, Roger said, "Well, there's the Pacific Ocean!" I immediately grabbed the atlas, for we were NOT supposed to be anywhere near close enough to see the ocean!
Sure enough - and not sure just how we did it - but we had 'talked' our way right past the merge on to I-15 and we were on I-5 which runs right along the coast - straight into Los Angeles! What a beautiful drive as we passed Camp Pendleton and drove through San Clemente. I recalled that this was where Nixon had a presidential retreat and it was easy to understand why.
But nothing seems to come easy for us, so I'm scrambling for a solution to get us back 'inland' to I-15. Two things to consider: 1) a mountain range lies between I-5 and I-15, and 2) there is only one 'free' way through LA - the rest were toll roads.
Toll roads are not such a big deal, but when you are towing 38 foot of trailer, they can get pricey! And, of course, I had just spent our last cash in the laundromat at the San Diego KOA. So, what to do!?! With our luck, we would have ended up on a toll road, even when we didn't intend to, and toll roads don't typically accept plastic!
So exit on to the Ortega Highway . . . over the mountains and through the woods . . . a beautiful scenic drive, just not ideal when towing that aformentioned 38 foot of trailer! Not so bad going up, but a real nail biter going down - for me, anyway! We had a beautiful arial view of Lake Elsinore and finally got on to I-15 going north.
We figure it only added about an hour or so to our already long day! Such is life on the road with Roger & Twylah!
Kept trekking north into yet more mountains before finally reaching our destination of Lake Isabella. Eight hours of driving, which included two mountain ranges, makes for two very tired people at the end of the day. Thankfully we have had a bit of time here to 'recharge'.
This morning, April 1st, a new month and a new day! Taking a bit of time off today to head down to Bakersfield where we will spend the afternoon and evening with the Johnson clan (Roger's cousins) before getting back to work on Thursday.
As always seems to happen Roger and I both made it through the winter feeling fine, only to be laid low just prior to our departure. Mine hit with a vengeance two weeks out, and is still hanging on in the form of head & chest congestion. It always seems to be a case of whether I will manage to wear it out or if it 'wins' and wears me out! Just when I think "Uncle!" - I'll go to the doctor - I begin to feel better and decide I'll live.
Roger's 'crud' was in the form of a low grade fever. It lasted for over a week, leaving him feeling washed out and just generally yucky. We kept him dosed up, alternating Tylenol & Motrin, and as long as he took his meds on time, he could function. Not wanting to pass it on to anyone, though, we missed out on our last Sunday at church.
So over the last week, taking many breaks, we managed to get the trailer loaded and pulled out about 1:00 p.m. Monday, headed due west. Called it a day in Amarillo the first night; had wanted to make it on to Tucumcari, but the truck insurnace had expired on March 1 and we still had not received a new proof of insurance certificate from the Home Office. The timing was great, for when I checked for e-mail that evening, it had been sent that day. Printed it out and we were 'good to go', crossing into New Mexico. That is the only state that charges us a fee at the weigh station and they always check our registration, insurance, etc.
With the short travel day on Monday, we had a very long one on Tuesday - all the way to Holbrook, AZ. One thing about it, I don't have to navigate for Roger these first few days, as we simply get on I-40 and drive! Between the stops for gas and the weigh stations, we only had to make one unscheduled 'rest' stop. We even found a Blue Beacon RV Wash in Gallup and was pleasantly surprised when we didn't have to wait in line! Made it through the wash in record time and pulled into the Holbrook, AZ KOA at 5:00 p.m. on the dot. (Now, that would be 6:00 p.m. Montana time and 7:00 p.m. Oklahoma time).
With Arizona being a state that doesn't 'do' Daylight Savings Time, our internal clocks stay confused for most of the season. In fact, I keep my watch on Mountain time because I have to keep our DOT log in sync with the Home Office time zone. We keep a clock in the fifth wheel on Oklahoma time (Central), to serve as a reminder on when it is a good time to call home. Then Roger keeps his watch and the truck clock set to whatever time zone we happen to be in! That changes often, as we cross back and forth between Pacific & Mountain several times during the season.
We've already had our first 'trailer failure' our first night out. Although the days have been pleasant (in the high 60's/low 70's), the nights are still very chilly! We woke up sometime in the night a bit cold, so Roger got up and turned the heat on. Worked fine . . . for a little while. I got up early as I usually do, and as I sat at the computer desk I begin to notice that the heater wasn't coming on. Not wanting to wake Roger, I retired to my recliner with my fleece blankie (thanks, Beth!) and tried to stay warm. Finally about 7:30, I woke Roger and informed him something was very wrong! Seems the 'switch' on the furnace was 'defective' and after trying to get it to stay on - and it wouldn't - he did a temporary 'fix' until we can find an RV dealer and get a replacement. That will probably be in Las Vegas, as we will 'sit' for 3 nights there.
Now when I say 'sit' - I mean the trailer will 'sit'. Won't be a lot of 'sitting' for us from here on out. We should arrive in Vegas early evening today, do our first review tomorrow and then drive over to Pahrump on Friday. Saturday morning we will hook up again and head south to Barstow, CA, then on to Needles and Laughlin.
The adventure begins . . . again!
And, oh, for those of you who keep up with our grandkids . . . we were very excited for Hunter when she made the Carl Albert Middle School pom squad for the second year! This year Grandpa Roger opted to stay home with Hayden and Grandma T 'sweated' it out with Mom & Dad. Wouldn't matter so much if she didn't enjoy it so much.
Seems Miss Hunter is known by her coaches for always 'pushing the envelope' when it comes to being on time! (Wonder where she gets that, Mom & Dad?) Each year they are always given a T-shirt when their name is called. So this year, Coach Judy pulled Hunter's T-shirt and held on to it until almost the very last to make her 'sweat' a bit! When she told me that . . . I told her to tell Coach Judy that she needed to remember that it is often Mom, Dad and Grandma that sweats the most!
The last week at home is always hectic, as the stress of our imminent departure becomes a reality. Although many think of this as a dream job, it's not easy leaving home for six months. At least the weather has been kind to us, granting us some very nice weather as we pack. Our departure date has changed several times, but for the moment, we are have Monday, Mar 16, as our target.
Wesley requested his favorite of Grandma's cooking - beef tips & rice for the last Sunday dinner. I'm sure I'll do the Pecan Sandie dessert one more time, too.
We've managed to schedule a couple of lunch/dinner dates with friends during this last week, so Monday will be here quickly.
It is hard to believe that March is almost here, as we begin to get ready to start 'rollin', rollin', rollin'. The weather continues to yo-yo from cold to warm. I keep waiting for it to 'stay warm' so we can hook up water & un-winterize the rig. Need to do a 'spring cleaning' and start packing.
Last Saturday we made a day of it, traveling to Warner for the engagement party of our great-niece. (I still maintain it should be 'grand-niece', as my sister is her grandmother.) Sara & Larame will be wed on September 12. As always it was a nice visit and an opportunity to meet Larame's family.
After the party we went over to Darrel & Nita's (Sara's parents), to let the younger kids ride Darrel's four-wheeler. Although it was a nice day, it was still chilly. The boys hadn't come dressed to be riding, but ride they did - until they were good & frozen.
Weddings are in the air, as our nephew, Ray, popped the question to his girl, Hannah, on Valentine's Day. They just set their date as December 12th. Oh, to be young & in love!
Old & in love is good too . . . anyway it's a lot more comfortable! Funny thing how 1969 seems like just yesterday! One can't deny the passage of time, though, when our 'babies' are 38 & 34! I keep telling them they are catching up with me . . . for I can't be THAT old . . . to have children almost 40!
Had to chuckle at Randy & Shelly the other day. With his birthday coming up quickly (tomorrow, actually), he told Shelly that he would be 'half way to 40 on my birthday'. Like all good wives, she corrected him, reminding him "No, you will be half way to 70!" Nothing like our mates to keep us grounded in reality.
Speaking of 'comfortable' and 'grounded', my Valentine's Day 'gift' this year was a yard sprayer. Russ & Roger had been talking of buying one to help in our battle against our acres of stickers. I went on line and found one in a nearby town. It was used & had definitely seen better days, but Roger still felt it was a 'bargain' at $500 (new ones like this go for $2500 or better). Of course, he shared that he would have to put another $200 in to it to get it where he wanted it. (Last time I checked we were much closer to $300. . .) But it has kept Roger & his Dad completely occupied for the past week. I haven't had this much 'alone time' since winters during our campground days! The last part came in yesterday and Roger was out & about early this morning to finish it up. Thursday is supposed to be a great day for spraying, so I may finally get to see 'my' sprayer in action.
With DeAnna & Hunter off to Texas last weekend for Pom competition, we got to see a lot of Russ & Hayden. I swear our little guy just keeps getting sweeter! He's a little parrot these days, repeating every word you say, and he has discovered books. He loves to sit on your lap and read. That, of course, gives Grandma Twylah lots of chances to steal neck sugar!
Leaving next month is not going to be easy!
But then there are 'moments' like Sunday afternoon . . . with most everyone here for our traditional Sunday lunch. I missed Hayden and Russ found him in the bathroom where he had plopped a roll of toilet paper in the toilet, along with a half dozen wash rags, and was plunging away with the toilet brush . . . soaked up to his neck! We had wet toilet paper on the walls, floor and shower curtain. He was having a blast! For some reason, Russ wasn't the least bit amused . . . but I thought it was hilarious!
I get such total satisfaction out of watching my boys 'earn their stripes' when their kids pull some of the same stunts as my boys did!
Hunter & mom returned very late Sunday night and we were tickled for Hunter as her pom squad won their division and were Grand Champions of the competition, top winners over all groups. Hunter also competed in solo dance, and got some great comments from the judges, but fell just short of ranking in the top 5 (she came in 6th). A bit of a disappointment for her, but a good experience.This year in pom will end with a banquet on March 5th, then tryouts for the next season will be held just before we head to the West Coast.
Arrived home from our week in Myrtle Beach - thankful to be warm once again. Was so glad to settle into my recliner with my favorite 'blankie'! Not sure if I miss my chair or my bed most when we are gone.
But, as always, we really enjoying reconnecting with the other Field Services teams. Wish we could do that more than once a year.
Managed to get unpacked and everything put away before I gave in to the urge to collapse in my recliner. I was obviously enjoying my chair to the fullest, for when I roused from my napping, Roger told me to go to bed. I assured him I was just fine where I was - and loving it. When he woke me up again and said it was time for bed, I replied "I thought you were going to let me nap in my chair!" His reply: "I did, that was an hour and a half ago!"
Anyway, it sure is good to be home!
Saturday dawned - another beautiful day - and we had early visitors when Russ & Hayden came down the hill to say welcome home & join us for breakfast. Big sis was gone for the weekend on a church youth retreat. Seems Russ had 2 tickets to the OU vs. Colorado men's basketball game, so off he & Roger went, while Hayden kept Grandma company.
The two of us had a lazy day . . . or as lazy as it can be with an active 2-year-old. I was trying to catch up on laundry from our trip, and Hayden found Grandma's laundry basket to be a great activity while he watched his favorite cartoons.
So now it's time to get serious about getting ready to hit the road for our 2009 season. Uniform shirts to alter, computer work to do, and then it will be time to start packing the trailer. Mid-March will be here before we know it!
I think I'm going to mutiny! Here we are in "beautiful" Myrtle Beach . . . and it SNOWED! I told our boss that next year we were going to insist on training somewhere warm - if there is such a place!
Personally, I'm thinking the Florida Keys, South Padre Island, Santa Cruz . . . how about Mexico!
Speaking of Mexico . . . I never thought I would want to go there - but the KOA Alumni Reunion is going to be a cruise this fall - to none other than Mexico. Roger and I are seriously thinking of signing up. I've always said I didn't want to go there, but the price is right, and what better way to travel than with friends. We'll delve into the details when we get home next week and make our decision. I think Roger is thinking this is a great way to celebrate our 40th anniversary. That actually happens this June, but we'll be knee-deep in work at that point.
Have to cut it short this morning. Time to hit the shower & get ready for our last day here in 'beautiful' Myrtle Beach (NOT! - this year anyway!).
Last week the winter 'yuck' came to visit. We THOUGHT it wasn't supposed to show up until Monday evening, but as we headed out to my physical therapy at 10:30, it was already "slicker than owl snot!" (That's a Rogerism)If I had been driving, I would have turned around before I had gone a mile and gone back home. But Roger was driving and some male gene he carries thinks it's 'fun'! In fact, he went running errands after dropping me off. When he returned about noon to pick me up, I insisted he pull right up to the side walk, so I wouldn't have to attempt to walk on the parking lot. All I don't need is another fall!
On the way home, traveling I-40, (because everyone knows the interstate is the safest place to be in bad weather. . . . NOT), we had almost reached our exit when, all of a sudden, we did a 360 spin. Thankfully, the cars behind us were not traveling fast - or too close - for we managed to come to a stop without hitting anyone. Roger started chuckling (that darn male gene!), and I snapped at him to "Quit laughing, this isn't funny!" Thankfully, we made it on home safely and I did not step foot out until Thursday!
But by Monday evening the 'joyous' news of school closings were hitting the airways. Everyone stayed home on Tuesday, with the 'yuck' still coming down. Thankfully, no power outages for any of us. But Wednesday morning the 'adults' had to head back to work, and Hunter & Hayden came to spend the day with us next door. Big sis went over and rounded up all the winter clothes, and by 10:00 a.m. she & Hayden were out 'sledding' down the hill in our back yard. The sun was shining - very brightly - and the temps were warming up so that it was almost pleasant! That is, if you discounted the couple of inches of frozen sleet & snow!
Hayden, all suited up, reminds me of the little boy in "The Christmas Story". It was so cute to watch him 'waddle'. At times, he would just lay down and 'roll' down the hill. He was in 'hog heaven'. Later that day, Shelly brought the big boys over and they all went out and played some more. By Thursday though, the melt was happening and it was pretty much all slush.
Although the ground hog saw his shadow yesterday, I hope that this 'snow' was the only mess we'll get for this year.
From cold & yucky to cool & sunshine sunshine for us, as we flew out to Myrtle Beach Saturday evening for the week. We met up with old friends in Atlanta, for we were on the same flight from there to Myrtle Beach. Another year of training, as we begin year #8 for us as KOA Field Reps.
Sunday we spent the day 'catching up' & meeting new friends, as the other teams arrived for the week. That evening we gathered at Damon's for eats and an evening of the Super Bowl. It almost turned out like we wanted, as most of us were pulling for the Cardinals.
Monday was our first full day of training, and although necessary, the content was not exactly 'riveting'. Our evening ended at the highly recommended Chestnut Hill Restaurant, where most of us dined on fresh seafood. After all, we are on the coast! I delved into a serving of 'seafood casserole' which featured fresh Atlantic shrimp & scallops on a bed of crab stuffing, topped with cheddar cheese! Delicious! Roger chose the fresh flounder - broiled - which I'm sure was far less calories than mine . . . but whose counting this week!
Today is a 'yellow' day, as we don our signature yellow shirts and head to the Myrtle Beach KOA for the day doing a mock 'walk-about'. We just might get a bit damp from the bit of liquid sunshine forecast for the day, but we brought our yellow umbrella along, just in case!
Each year we have a gathering of the "Phillips Clan" (that's my side of the family), and this year we were at our place on Jan. 3rd. As our family grows, it becomes very hard to find a date before Christmas when we can all get together.
This gathering brought news of the engagement Sara & Laramie. Sara was the first great-grandchild of our folks, and it brings a real sense of continuity as we watch yet another generation come of age.
We also got to meet Hannah for the first time. She's the delightful young lady who has caught the interest of our nephew, Ray.
It was great to all be together once again. After 'grazing' round a table full of delicious goodies, which always includes a plate of homemade candy - made from Mom's recipes - we enjoyed our annual "Dirty Santa" exchange of Christmas ornaments/decorations. This year the January date was great, as it allowed everyone to take advantage of those super after-Christmas sales! Even 2-year-old Hayden got in the act. When it was his 'turn', he 'stole' a musical nativity scene and was happy the rest of the evening, pushing the button to listen to the story & music. DeAnna shared that he even took it to bed with him that night.One thing we do each year is take time to pose for our annual family pictures.
Roger & Twylah
Russ, DeAnna, Hunter & Hayden
Randy, Shelly, Wes & Nick
With Nick's birthday falling on Jan 6th, we gathered again at our house with the Hughes clan on a Sunday afternoon to celebrate the occasion. The 'news' this time was from Roger's neice, Kelly, that she was in the 'family way' again, with #3 expected in late summer.
So 2009 looks to be a year of 'happenings' for the family. We can't wait!
Last summer our kids came up with the idea of a 'family' ski trip for the week between Christmas & New Years. As Shelly said, "It will either be a great trip - or the LAST family trip". I'm thankful, we all felt it was in the first category.
We headed out about 3:00 p.m. on the 23rd and rendezvoused in Amarillo at the Comfort Suites for the night. The younger sets decided to go out for dinner, while Grandpa Roger & I decided to 'stay in' and enjoy some one on one time with 2-year-old Hayden. Right now he is in the stage where his restaurant behavior is pretty much 'socially unacceptable'. (As you can tell from the picture above, he doesn't like posing for pictures either!) Mom got him suited up in his jammies before they left and me and him played 'walk the halls' and watched cartoons in his room - while Grandpa got some down time in our room. After dinner they all convened in the hot tub & indoor pool.
The next morning we headed to Taos, arriving about 2:30, Christmas Eve, to find that the cleaning crew for the condo had not shown up. NOT the way to start our week! We moved on in, piling everything in a huge pile and I attempted to get our supper underway. Thankfully the kitchen was the cleanest room (except for the floor). An 'alternate' cleaning lady finally showed up with clean sheets and towels and unlocked the supply closet so I could finally get my hands on a broom to sweep the floor.
While trying to 'hurry up' the chili, Russ decided to set the crock part of my crock pot on the stove burner. I'm sorry to say that it spelled the 'death knell' for my old friend - but it was probably time, since I had purchased it for my Mom back in 1992. The small crack quickly became a very LARGE crack! Thankfully, I had brought a back up.
With everyone fed, I decided some fresh baked cookies would be just the thing for our evening. I turned on the oven to preheat, left the room for a bit, and came back to find the oven heating element on fire! I yelled for Russ, he quickly turned it off - and made yet another phone call to the owner. Before the day was over, the boys had gone up to the upstairs condo and 'borrowed' their stove - for all the meals I had planned were oven meals! Being Christmas there was nothing else to do.
No problem until the renters for the upstairs condo showed up on Friday evening - and were not happy to find they had no stove. To make a long story short, they ended up ordering a new stove for our condo - and once that was delivered, the boys returned the 'borrowed stove' to the upstairs condo. Of course, the 'on-site' maintenance man was never around when we needed him - and if it hadn't been for our 'resourceful' guys, we would have been up a creek!
Over the years, we have stayed in a lot of condos, but we have NEVER had the headaches we had this year. And when the 'regular' cleaning lady showed up to switch out the sheets, she didn't speak English - and made all the beds without top sheets! (Guess that was her way of 'saving' on laundry!)
Everyone - thankfully - kept their sense of humor through it all - and we made lots of memories. But needless to say, we won't be going back to the Taos East Condos!
Shelly & DeAnna had agreed to try skiing, but it didn't take long for them to decide it just wasn't for them. Hayden & I spent the week pretty much in the condo, but one evening we all ventured out to go tubing. Well, Grandpa & I watched, but even Hayden took a turn down the run with Dad - and he loved it! He didn't like the standing in line and waiting, but he loved the ride.
Roger, Russ and Randy found that being on the slopes came back quickly, although Roger found that a half of a day was about all his 20-year older legs could tolerate. Course the boys kept trying to 'outdo' the other and both came in pretty tired at the end of their first day. I believe Russ' exact words were "Randy is trying to KILL me!" The kids spent the first two days in school (Hunter - ski school), Wes (snowboard school), and Nick tried one day in each. Wes and Hunter picked it up quickly, but Nick had a bit of a harder time. Then he got hit with a bit of a stomach virus - or elevation sickness, which wiped him out for a day.
The third day on the slopes Roger went up to take some pictures of our skiers. He came in saying that the day started out with him waiting on Hunter, and by noon, she was waiting on him!
Russ & Hunter pose at the start of the day, and Wes shows off his snow boarding skills.
The highlight of the trip seemed to be the excursion to Red River for an evening of snow mobiling! Grandpa Roger was recruited as a driver and everyone had a blast.
As part of the snow mobiling adventure, they were provided a supper of a sandwich and 'green chili' stew. They were all afraid they wouldn't like it, so they ate before they went.
When they came home, all they could talk about was how good the 'green chili' stew was! They even told me I had to 'find' that recipe!
Go figure!
Worn out from all the playing, everyone took an afternoon to go exploring in downtown Taos. Our favorite shop turned out to be one we called the "pepper place" for they had strings of red peppers hanging from the rafters. Roger and I are always looking for 'stuff' for our house, and Roger spotted a large round 'disc' that he thought would go good in our bedroom. Turns out the 'disc' was an Aztec calendar. The gentleman at the shop was extremely helpful, for they were hanging on a wall above several shelves of ceramic pots and dishes. The first one he got down was damaged, so we moved on to the next one. It is a wonder the guy - and the shelves of ceramics - didn't come crashing down in the process. We also purchased a string of peppers that DeAnna wanted for her aunt and then we continued to wander the isles. Outside I spotted a beautiful chimena, but we thought the price too steep - and how would we get it home?
When we got home with the peppers, Deanna liked them so much that she decided she wanted to stop on the way out of town and get some for herself before we left town.
So New Year's Eve morning, all packed up and ready to head home. We made that stop at the 'pepper place', just as they were opening up for the day. I stayed in the car and it wasn't long before Roger came & tapped on the window to tell me the guy had offered to sell us that chimena we had eyed, for half price. Since Russ still had some room left in the back of his truck, we decided to go for it. So Deanna wanting a second string of peppers ended up costing us a bit more than a $20 string of peppers.
We had passed by a place called "Michael's Kitchen" when we were out shopping, so decided to give it a try for our 'last' breakfast. What a treat it was! We got there just at the right time, for as we were leaving, the line was down a long hall and out the door!
Russ & family headed on south to Alamogordo to visit DeAnna's grandmother, while the rest of us headed home. Our bed and recliners never felt so good!
The next morning I walked up to Russ' and brought his dogs - Moe & Zoe - back down to our house for the day. They were so glad to be with people.
A good time was had by all, and Wes & Hunter have decided that they both would like to just 'move' to the snow!
They are already talking about a spring break ski trip, but this Grandma & Grandpa have already told them to count us out.
