Safely back to the Center of Good Living

September 14 – With only about 160 miles to get home Bill refused to sleep in. At a matter of fact he got us up at 6:30. Since we had to dump all the tanks and rinse the back water tank he figured it would take longer so we had to start earlier. It was really dark out when we got up, mostly because we were back in under trees and no light could find us. Bill was anxious be gone and get home and I wasn’t in any rush because I knew what was in store once we got there. It took about 30 minutes to do the dumping and rinsing and then Bill got to talking to one of the summer help, and he was in a hurry?

 

I had suggested stopping at the McDonald’s we passed on the way in and that was fine with Bill. We never get that kind of food at home so this would be our last time for a long time. Then it was time to get on the highway.

 

Going home was totally uneventful which for us some days is a good thing. It was strange getting on the turnpike and knowing we were getting close and seeing everything familiar to us along the way. The reality that our summer was over was hitting and it was sad. The people we met, the sites we’d seen, they’d all be wonderful memories for us to rehash over and over. You can never make too many friends to see too many things so there are no regrets just dread of emptying the RV, putting things away, washing the front of the RV, washing all the linens, clothes, rugs, doing maintenance and getting it ready for our next adventure. That just happens to be next weekend with our camping club.

 

We got home at 11:30 and it was so muggy out. We knew we were home for sure. Bill backed the van up the driveway to the RV and we managed to get everything out in one load. Well, everything we remembered. We thought of thing later that Bill will go get when he washes the front. We had piles of stuff all over the dining room floor and kitchen. As soon as I put all the food items away and we had lunch we took the RV to Camping World to have them look at the tires that are closer together on one side than the other. Their guy didn’t think it was an issue but happened due to uneven weight distribution and some kind of bar under there that has gotten weaker. Then we took it to Giant Recreation World and they gave us the name of a place that specializes in trailers and frames. Since we’re going camping in a week we put it back in storage and will get the second opinion when we get back. Mark was spreading from fresh gravel fill as we pulled in so I just pulled it out into the field and waited a few minutes for him to finish. Amazing as it was, I backed in with Bill’s perfect directions in one try. The perfect ending to an almost perfect trip!

Last stop on the trail....

September 13 – Bill let me sleep a little later since we were only driving to White Springs, FL today. We had cereal and packed up and got on the road. We didn’t make as good time as Bill expected since I stopped a few times trying to find some peaches and pecans. It is the end of the season for peaches so what they had were really expensive and the pecans were high also. Oh well, no peach butter this year.

 

We also stopped for fuel twice as we thought it would be cheaper in Georgia than Florida. We had lunch at a nice big rest stop. I had bought a fresh baked loaf of swirl rye at one of the peach stops so I sliced some for lunch. Bill had a meatloaf sandwich and I finished the egg salad.

 

Tonight's campsite

Carillion

We arrived at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park at around 3. It has a small campground which is nice with lots of trees and a mix of pull thrus and back ins. It’s about half full tonight. Once we set up we walked up to the museum which is all about Stephen Foster. He died very young, 38, after writing a ton of folk songs. Then we walked over to the gift shop that has lots of items made by artisans here. There is a group of craft buildings where there are weavers, potters, jewelers and others making and demonstrating their crafting. We only bought postcards, a magnet and a book Bill wanted. It’s a Cracker Western on Florida in the late 1800’s. Does anybody care? The last stop was the Carillion Tower in the center of the park. It had more displays and information on Stephen Foster. We found a short cut through the woods back to the campground. I could have ridden my bike but Bill still didn’t want to take his off the rack and I wouldn’t ride while he walked. After sitting in the truck for days it was nice to do a little walking.

 

We both read for a while until it was time to get dinner. I George’d a steak and a salmon filet and made instant mashed potatoes. We shared the leftover corn (it was a starchy meal) and the last 6 of the delicious cherry tomatoes. Dessert tonight was a piece of dark chocolate each.

 

We took Xena for a walk after dinner and there were several couples out on their bikes and a couple more campers here. Like Navajo there is NO light out once it gets dark so whatever you need to do outside you do it before nightfall.

 

It’s a short ride home tomorrow and Bill plans to be there for lunch, so we will see!

Not a fun day!

September 12 – We were up before 7, ugh, and just had cereal this morning. The nice lady in the RV next to us brought us over some home grown cherry tomatoes. That was so nice of her. She stopped by last night and talked with us for a long time. She’s there for the month and is organizing some games and things for the weekend. A lot of the people are regulars there.

 

We left just before 8, which made Bill happy, that is, until we got to Clarksville and the road signage was not good and we missed our turnoff and went all the way through town and found another route we could take to I-24. It was a stressful driving day. I had to drive through Nashville, Chattanooga and Atlanta and my shoulder, neck, back and head were all aching when we stopped for the day.

 

We timed our morning fuel and bathroom stop at the same time. Lunch was more of a challenge. The first rest area was closed, the second didn’t have much parking for trucks so we could not park and finally an hour later than planned we came to a really nice rest area and enjoyed our egg salad sandwiches.

 

We lost our last hour today, getting back to Eastern Standard Time, but still it looked like we would get to our campground before Atlanta pretty early. I knew Bill wanted to go further, so we did. This place is more expensive and crappy. Can’t believe they call it a resort. It’s the Atlanta South RV Resort and it’s unkept, unlevel and the sites are not very clean. I already went on the Good Sam site and rated it less than average.

 

I used the rest of the spaghetti sauce with sausage for dinner. I didn’t have enough lettuce for a real salad so put the few pieces left on small plates and cut us each some of the cherry tomatoes. Oh boy were they ever good. You can tell they are home grown in good Tennessee soil.

 

When we took Xena out for her walk, to our dismay discovered we left our outdoor mat at Land Between the lakes. Crap! It was a really nice one that said “Wipe your paws”. We can’t believe neither of us saw it still on the ground after putting the steps up and doing our lights check. Oh well!

 

I posted 2 blogs and paid some bills and then have been researching places to stay in NYC in October.

 

Time to close it down and read a few pages.

Relaxing Day

Our site at Land Between the Lakes

September 11 – What a nice, just about do nothing day! Bill let me sleep but I woke up at 8:30 and made him his Sunday breakfast he missed this week. He put air in my bike and I rode around the various loops. He did some “maintenance” stuff and I did a little too on the inside. The nice thing was I could stop and read a while and try to get an email to go through. The reception here is not good and eventually an email with catch a wave and come and go.

 

I had a scrap of pie crust left in the fridge so I used some frozen blueberries, blackberries and strawberries and made a little pie and just put a top crust on it. I took the frozen meatloaf out to thaw. For lunch Bill had hotdogs and I had a salad from the leftover grilled chicken. We read and played ring toss and walked Xena.

 

At 5 I put the meatloaf in the toaster oven and put the last 2 potatoes on the boil. We had mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli with our meatloaf. While dinner was cooking we both showered so Bill could empty the tanks tonight instead of in the morning.

 

Bill REALLY enjoyed his berry pie. I didn’t care for the strawberry flavor in there. He thought it was one of the best desserts I’ve made in a while. Some fruits I just like “straight” up and not cooked and strawberries is one of them.

 

Barry and Newell called after dinner and stood still to try and keep a decent connection. We had a good talk and laughed and he said to be sure and keep in touch. It was really nice of them to call and good to hear their voices. I sure hope we see them all again.

 

I boiled some eggs and made egg salad for our lunch tomorrow. Hope the bread lasts!

Made it to Tennessee, so we're getting closer

September 10 – I’m really starting to wear down. My left shoulder is worse by the day. We got up at 7 and had cereal again so we could be on the road by 8. We got directions from one of the campers to get on the interstate one exit up from where we got off so we didn’t have to back track. It was quick and easy and we see where the guy told us wrong getting there.

 

It was a boring day of pretty much nothing but driving. We stopped once for fuel and had lunch and we slowed down so Bill could try to get a photo of the golf ball/tee water tower.

 

We managed to get to our campground at Land Between the Lakes by 4. That was so nice. This is a National Recreation Area in KY and TN. We are in the southern end in TN in Piney Campground. Parts of the campground have spaces that back up to the water, which would be nice. I made a mistake and booked us on line for an electric only site but luckily when we arrived they had a full hookup site that we could switch to. We’ve been to the area before but we stayed at a campground outside of the park as we were new and didn’t back in at the time. All of the sites here are back in. Bill got me right in, so we’re getting better. We’re here for 2 nights so I can have a day of rest. I rode my bike to the washer and put in a load to get us home on. Bill didn’t want to take his bike off the rack but mine has been riding inside the RV. We took Xena for a nice walk. There are a lot of people here still, but then it’s warm still and these are seem to be retirement age people.

 

I grilled brat burgers for dinner with frozen corn and a can of green beans. I’m trying not to put any thing new in the fridge or freezer as it’s more to empty out when we get home. Bill was perfectly happy having his 2 favorite vegetables.

 

The antenna is not getting us much in the way of TV and Bill watched one DVD but then the speaker starting a loud buzzing that we couldn’t fix to now it’s computering and reading. Well, no internet either as I don’t have enough bars to get a decent connection. Oh well, it’s quiet and peaceful and I don’t have to drive tomorrow.

My Dream of the Field of Dreams

September 9 – I was true to my word and we had cereal for breakfast and managed to be on the road at 8:11. Just before getting back on route 20 there was a Wal-mart and we needed a few things and since it was Sunday morning there was plenty of maneuvering room in the lot, so we did our shopping and left. Yesterday we drove on route 20 for about 100 miles and maybe saw 3 RV’s. Today within the first 30 minutes we must have seen 50 or more. Most were either towing or hauling a golf cart or were followed by a truck and trailer with 1-3 golf carts. We could not quite figure out what was going on but later were told that they were all leaving races in one of the cities close by. It’s a huge parking area and they use the golf carts to get from their RV’s to the track. It was a lot of driving today but we only had about an hour to my favorite stop so far, Field of Dreams.

 

Shoeless Bill heading back
after the game

It was awesome! I got a bit emotional rehashing the story in my head. It’s my favorite Kevin Costner movie and it’s so touching about the doctor and Ray’s dad and the baseball players. There is no charge to go to the field, you just park and can take your ball and glove and get on the field. We were excited that the corn had not been cut yet, but it was pretty dry. We took lots of photos. It’s been sold to a company who is going to leave the field but then build 21 more fields and facilities for tournaments and baseball camps. I’m glad we went now before it changes hands officially. They have a small trailer with all kinds of memorabilia and we spent our share. It’s one of those places you will never get back to as it really is an effort to go, but it was a spectacular place to be. We learned a lot about the making of the movie there and what changes were made to the house and grounds. We heard that the owner sold his entire farm of several hundred acres for 4 million. Good for him!

 

Is he cool or what?

From Dyersville, IA we got back on route 20 heading east to Dubuque where we took 61 south to I-80 to I-74 which we stayed on the rest of the day. We stopped the rest of the day only for lunch in the RV, to get fuel and to take a photo of a rooster wearing a top at in East Peoria. That proved to almost be a big mistake as there wasn’t a place to pull in to it so I drove on past and we saw a parking lot at a restaurant that Bill thought I could turn around in. Well, I could not quite do it without hitting the one car we didn’t see until it was too late. So he got out and slowly got me backed up and we discovered that the drive went all the way around the back of restaurant and out the other side. Whew! So I pulled just a bit off the road into a gas station with a low roof on it and Bill got out and took photos of the rooster for me.

 

The next challenge was finding our campground for the night. Bill called and talked to someone at the park twice and what he was telling us did not match up with the roads. Idiot! We asked a guy at a gas station and he had us follow him to the road where it was. The guy giving the directions told us from the wrong exit. He said get off at 172 and gave the directions from 174. So it took an extra 45 minutes to get here after we drove miles down the wrong road before finding a place I could turn around in and then back to the interstate and finding the guy who led us to it. It’s an OK place. It’s partially on the water and the people mostly are members who leave their units here for the summer season. Luckily there was 1 pull thru left as I really was not up to backing in two nights in a row. The campground is the Sportsmen’s RV Park in Mahomet, IL.

 

Bill was very happy to have spaghetti with Italian sausage for dinner and a nice salad. There might be enough for another meal, so that’s good. He watched some football and did the dishes and I downloaded today’s pictures and did emails and journaling. Now it’s time to read a few minutes and get to bed.

Moving East Through Iowa

September 8 – Since we got in so late last night and we were much closer to our first stop today, Bill let us sleep in until 8 and then we didn’t get moving very fast. I made bacon for breakfast and some for sandwiches for lunch and pan waffles and cantaloupe. Tomorrow it will be back to cereal.

 

John Wayne's Birthplace

A bridge in Madison County

We finally left at 10 after airing up the tires. We were only 20 minutes from our first stop at John Wayne’s birthplace in Winterset, IA. The main street is named after him and there’s a bronze statue at one corner of the main street of him. The house is tiny, only 4 rooms and there’s a house next door that is the gift shop and where you get your tickets. I stayed in the truck with Xena and Molly while Bill went in and did the tour. Winterset is also where some of the movie, “The Bridges of Madison County” was filmed as it is in Madison county and the bridges are all in the area. We got to see one in the city park. Wish I had factored in a day to tour the covered bridges. Oh well, next time.

 

Outside of Bob Feller Museum

The next stop was also one of Bill’s at the Bob Feller Museum in his home town of Van Meter, IA. Luckily it was Saturday and the bank next door was closed so I could park the RV there while Bill went in. I took a couple of photos of him at the building. He was a bit disappointed in it as it was primarily pertaining to his major league career and the items they had for sale were expensive autographed ones. He couldn’t even get a magnet as they didn’t have things like that.

 

We took I-80 to I-35 and headed north. We found a rest area with no facilities, which was fine, and we stopped and I made our BLT’s for lunch. Yum! Then it was a long drive to Route 20 and on to Oelwein, IA where were had reservations for the night at the Lake Shore Resort campground. Route 20 was a divided highway like the interstate and no traffic but we are getting tired of nothing but corn fields and more corn fields. There aren’t even any bill boards. I will say that some of the landscapes when we entered Iowa were hilly and the soybean fields were very pretty in shades of greens and yellow. They looked like fields of flowers.

 

The resort is pretty nice. It’s 70% seasonal guests and they save some spots for over nighters. All of the sites are back in, so the guy working managed to direct me in as his buddies all watched. The space was a little off but one set of boards and we are perfect. The hook ups are all in the rear so Bill had to use 2 hoses to reach. The wifi didn’t work so I used my hotspot.

 

I grilled chicken breasts on George and steamed a spaghetti squash that I put butter and grated parmesan on. Bill had the rest of the leftover veggies and I had the rest of the black bean salad. I grilled an extra breast for tomorrow’s lunch.

 

We got a decent signal with the antenna and watched some reruns. I did some email and caught up my journal. Will post one and tomorrow I need to download more photos.

Great Stops and Not so Great Campgrounds

 

Pony Express Station

September 7 – We got up at 7 and decided to take bananas with us and stop at the McDonald’s on the way for breakfast biscuits. Vary things up so it doesn’t get boring! I had just a sausage biscuit with grape jelly and Bill had a burrito thing and an egg biscuit.  On our way there we stopped at the park where the Pony Express Station was.  It was not there originally but moved to the park.

 

Archway Monument over I-80

It was a good day and it was a bad day. It was really cold when we left and overcast and not looking like a good day for travelling, but we headed on down the road to our first stop, Archway Monument at Kearny, NE. It’s the only museum built across an Interstate. We arrived shortly after opening and there was hardly anyone there so we had no trouble parking. The museum is two stories and you get headsets that tell you what you are seeing as you pass through each section. It’s all radio signals so if you want you can go back and it will replay that section. The monument tells the history of westward expansion, beginning with the first wagon trains, then the gold rush, the use of stage coaches, then the train, then the building of the Lincoln Highway and car traffic west. You take an escalator up to start and once you cross over you climb to the second level and cross back while seeing the rest of the story. A lot is video displays and real cars, etc. It was much more than we thought it would be and something we would highly recommend.

 

Sapps Water Tower

At our fuel stop we decided to get Arby’s for lunch. It was in the gas station so it was really convenient. Nice change. We split a bag of curly fries, which I haven’t had in years. I love Arby’s classics with horsey sauce. Our next stop was a short one at the Sapp’s Coffee Pot Water Tower which is a truck stop and restaurant and coffee shop. I couldn’t get in a good spot for a good photo but I did get a good cappuccino!

 

Add caption

We exited at Avoca, Iowa to see the Volkswagon made into a spider and went where it was supposed to be but we couldn’t find it. Darn! So further down the road we exited in Elk Horn, Iowa to see the Danish windmill. It’s at the visitor center and as our luck runs, it was closed, but we parked across the street and got some nice photos. The windmill was built in Denmark and shipped to Elk Horn to be constructed in the Danish town.

 

It was getting late and we were happy to get to the Adair exit as we had planned to stay at the city park campground. Well, first it was full and if it wasn’t the spaces would not accommodate our RV and the people and place were straight out of “Deliverance”. So I drove back to I-80 and Bill got on my phone and he said the next town, Casey, had a city park with spots, so we stopped there. There were no other campers but we could not figure out how to park and not block someone else and there were no water hook ups and we didn’t put enough water in our tank for showers. So, it was back on the road. Well, after getting dinner out for Xena and Molly. I was getting hungry too, AND really tired, but it was like I told Bill, there just were not many campgrounds in that area. Lots of small towns but no camping. He checked the Next Exit book and found 2. The KOA was closest and would keep us from backtracking in the morning so he called and they had space. It was not worth $41 but it was a full hook up and we were so tired and ready to stop. The site was not level and it was really narrow and the sewer connection was about 8 inches high so the waste water would not go in with out working it down the pipe. What a pain! But you are a captive audience out here.

 

On the way to the KOA we did get to stop at Freedom Rock in Menlo, IA. Photos of the rock have been around on the internet for years and it was such an honor to get to see it in person. It’s just a big rock on a corner in the middle of no where and someone built a shelter by it with photos of the rock from each year it’s been painted since 1999. A flag pole has been erected and it’s a chilling moment to know that a veteran designs and paints it each year. It’s done in scenes of different war eras and the ashes of 30 Vietnam soldiers are used in the paint. It’s really something to see.

 

Once we got settled in at the KOA Bill said to just fix soup, so I did a Karen and we shared a can of Progresso Chicken Noodle soup and I made cheese quesadillas to go with it as it was kinda like grilled cheese. You go with what you’ve got!

 

The campground was pretty full for this time of year. Lots of kids and we think there was a reunion of sorts that was meeting for 2 nights. I took Xena for her walk while Bill emptied the tanks since we were paying for it and then I did my journals, downloaded the pictures from today and posted 2 blogs. I managed to get Jean’s airline tickets booked, so next I need to work on hotels.

 

Time for bed and I’d like to read a little!

Made it to Nebraska

September 6 – When we got up this morning there were 2 buck deer across from us near another RV. What a nice way to start the day. It was a little cool but nice out. We had smoothies this morning and managed to get on the road just after 8. Traffic wasn’t much better than last night until we got on the highway heading north to Nebraska.

 

We took our morning break at a nice rest area and it had warmed up by then. This was a mostly just driving day. We stopped at the Colorado Welcome Center for our lunch and finished off some chicken salad I made. Something shifted in the roll up storage compartment in the hutch and we couldn’t get it opened so I had to leave it until later.

 

Buffalo Bill's Ranch

The place we planned to get fuel was no longer there so we stopped 12 miles into NE and got our fuel. Bill changed all the times as we crossed into Central Time. That made it a problem getting to visit Buffalo Bill’s Ranch in La Platt as they closed at 4 and we pulled up right at 4. At least we got to see the house and the huge barn. It really is a peaceful place, we could see why he chose it for his “get away” when we was doing his Wild West shows.

 

Bill and Buff

We got to drive on the Lincoln Highway, which is route 30. We took it from the ranch AKA Scout’s Rest Ranch east and into North Platte where we stopped at the Ft. Cody Trading Post. It was just tourist stuff but the building was neat as was the buffalo and giant Bill Cody out front. We got some post cards and Bill’s magnet and got back on I-80.

 

We spent the night at the Lafayette Park Campground in Gothenburg, NE. It only had 15 or so RV spots among the trees and 5-6 tent spots. The caretakers live on the property and there were only 2 other RV’s there. Xena and I took a walk and got to see 3 wild turkeys and a pretty horse. Bill joined up with us and we crossed over a canal on one side through a little covered bridge to the Lake Helen Recreation area. We spotted a large dog off leash, so we had to hurry back so we didn’t chance any issues with the dog.

 

Tonight's camp spot

For dinner I used George and grilled steaks to go with the leftover potato salad and mixed veggies. It was quick and easy and few dishes left for Bill to wash. I was able to get the cabinet up enough to put a mug under it, then used 2 wooden spoons to maneuver things around that had shifted and got it open. Great! I took out the culprit so hope I don’t have to deal with that again.

 

We both showered in the communal shower and it wasn’t bad. Bill didn’t want to use our shower since we won’t be able to empty the tanks for a couple more nights.

 

I did a few emails and tried to book Jean’s airline ticket but the internet was really slow and so I had to finally just give it up until hopefully tomorrow.

Headed back to Florida

September 5 – Well today is the day we begin our journey back to Florida. Bill set the clock but I was up at 6:15 for our planned 8:00 departure. I thought we were in really good shape to be on time but some how we just didn’t make it. He couldn’t check the air in the RV tires until I put the slides in and of course after sitting for 3 months, they needed air. Then the air compressor reading was not the same as the tire gauge and Bill was not sure which to go by. He settled on the compressor. Susan told me to stop by the visitor center and I could pick out something for working there all summer. So we stopped and while I was inside Bill went over to talk to Barry, Marion and Newell. I picked out what I am calling a hedgehog, but I’m sure they say it’s a porcupine and a t-shirt. The guys all came back to the visitor center and it was really hard to say good bye. I got all choked up and teary and could barely speak. I gave the guys all big hugs and told them we’d see them in Florida and that staying some place for 3 months really makes it hard because you make relationships.

 

Well we managed to leave by 9, so we were only 1 hour behind schedule. On the way into Pagosa Springs we saw a huge flock of wild turkeys and then a hot air balloon, so it was a nice send off. We stopped at Bob’s LP to fill our empty propane tank and then we headed to the dreaded Wolf Creek Pass. Well, it was slow going but we had no problem getting up and over the pass. Bill breathed a sigh of relief. Our only problem for the day was when we stopped for lunch. We were pretty much in the middle of nowhere but we saw a little diner with a big lot so decided to stop and get burgers to go so we could eat them in the truck with the animals. While Bill went in I looked in the side view mirror and the big slide that had a problem with the topper earlier in the summer didn’t look quite right. So after closer inspection I saw that the entire end that we had worked on was off of the track. After we had our lunch, Bill got the ladder down and was able to put the topped back in the track but one of the screws was missing. I got out my box of miscellaneous parts and found one that I thought would work. Bill put the slide out and it took me a while but I finally got the original screw in and it seemed to be really tight. The other one was too long but went in tight so we closed it up, put the ladder back up and headed on down the highway.

 

Our site at Cherry Creek State Park

Mid-afternoon we stopped to fill the tank and take a rest break for Xena and then got back on the road. We hit VERY slow traffic as we arrived in Aurora 1 ½ hours behind schedule, but what can you do? We had no trouble getting to Cherry Creek State Park where we planned to stay the night, but it was slow going for a while. They had plenty of sites left, way more campers that at Navajo though, but then it’s right outside of Denver and on a huge man-made lake. It was nice, all the sites were paved but it was not even close to level. It was off so much our leg would not catch, so we had to put boards under the side and then a board under the leg. The park is nice though, with trees at most of the sites and several loops and bathhouses. The high light was seeing a doe about 20 feet from out RV. It was getting dark though and the photos didn’t take.

 

For dinner we had Mexican AGAIN! At least we finished off the rice and the adovada. Bill did up the dishes and I did some blogs and emails. I think we will both sleep better tonight.

The Party IS OVER

September 4 - It’s a bittersweet kind of day. It’s sad to see our summer adventure coming to a close. It’s sad to say goodbye to people we’ve bonded with, laughed with, worked with. It’s nice to be going home to our family and friends. We invited our new friends to Florida and I won’t be surprised to see some of them down the road. One couple lives there so once they get to the west coast and turn around we expect to see them again for sure. Another couple lives just south of Tucson so unless we are travelling at the same time, we expect to see them in Arizona some time. The others, well, the door is open and the welcome mat is down, so we hope during the 8 months a year we are in Florida that they will come for a visit.

 

I was a bit restless last night so got up a little earlier that normal. I made omelets for the last “good” breakfast for a few days and then I took our first 2 loads of laundry up to wash. We cleaned some sites and then came back to “work” at the RV. I hung the clothes out to dry and packed all the dishes away with bubble wrap and got things organized to close up in the morning. I put a pineapple cake in the oven for the farewell dinner tonight.

I dropped Bill off to put in 3 loads of wash while I drove to the post office to turn our keys and see if our mail packet came from Kam. It did not, so I left our forwarding address. The wash wasn’t done when I got back and Bill was sitting outside just catching some breeze. Marion and Barry both came over and chatted til the laundry was done and we headed back for lunch.

 

After lunch I folded the laundry as it dried and Bill drained the tanks and he went to Durango with Manuel. They went to Wal-mart to get Bill’s prescription and so I had him fill 2 water jugs and he picked up some fruit. I cleaned the hitch, sanded it and greased it and it’s ready for tomorrow. I caught up on my journal and posted 2 blogs. I talked to Karen about NY in October and we’re a go.

 

After Bill got back we got showered and headed to Terry’s site for the Volunteer BBQ. They do a potluck dinner to thank the various volunteers, that’s the camp hosts, the shuttle drivers, the Coast Guard auxiliary and others who work in various areas of the park. After the dinner they gave us a certificate, a backpack with an insulated mug, a flashlight and a pin in it. They gave us our pass for Colorado State Parks that is good for a year and we received our letter of recommendation. We also got one via email today from Ft. Pulaski, so we’re all caught up.

 

We said our good byes to some of the people we won’t see in the morning and brought our chairs, etc home and then Bill drove the mule back to Terry’s and Newell drove him back. We watched our shows and Bill took down the satellite dish and we turned the chairs and are pretty close to ready to go in the morning. So long Navajo State Park, it’s been fun AND windy!

Last day in the office and good bye dinner

September 3 – I worked my last day, Labor Day, in the office. It was really slow and since Karen finished her last day yesterday and Sheila on Friday, it wasn’t the same. The other ladies are nice but after spending my summer with Karen, Sheila and Brenda it wasn’t the same atmosphere and the loads of laughter. It was also my slowest day since I started. Susan wrote a very nice letter of recommendation for me and I really appreciated it. I told Bill on the way home today that it won’t be the park I miss but the people. Every one here has just been so nice to us and shared there lives and experiences with us as well as their laughter. I could not have picked a better group of people to spend the summer with.

 

After lunch we did more packing things up and Bill had taken down the outdoor lights while I was at work. He had 18 sites to clean so he really didn’t have much time for anything else. We did 3-4 more sites but still had some that didn’t leave until 4-5. Two paid for an extra night, so it won’t be totally empty tonight. We rested a while and read and then showered and got ready for our get together at 6. Harlan and Rebecca were hosting but had it at Marion’s as his pad and site are bigger for all the chairs. There were 10 of us and Barry brought his big grill over and he grilled the steaks, Newell made potatoes, Marion made black beans, someone made a salad and a dish of green beans with ham. I took my brownies and we had a feast. After dinner Marion brought out the honey infused bourbon to go in the coffee and several of us enjoyed that. He started a fire, Bill’s and my first and only for the summer, and it was so nice just sitting with our new friends and visiting, telling stories and making jokes at each other’s expense. The mosquitoes came out but with the fire and spray we managed not to fare too badly. Newell was the first to leave just after 9 and we got home around 10 after helping clean up the tables and chairs and returning them to the Guest Services building. It was really a nice night. Oh, I almost forgot. When I got home today Bill said he wanted to use the famous Flamingos and give them as awards to everyone. So we sat down and figured out the titles for the “Flamingos” and I wrote them all on each one with a sharpie and put Navajo State Park 2012. Everyone had a good laugh over them and now they all have a Flamingo to call their own. The categories were: Best Lawn Man, Best Fund-Raiser, Best Trail Blazers, Best Story Teller and Best Listener and Hardest Working Camp Host. You’d have to know the people to know who deserved each one, and they did and everyone had a great laugh from it. I forgot to take my camera but Joan took individual shots and a group shot and is supposed to email them to me.

 

Once we got home and took Xena out Bill listened to his radio and I read for a while before we headed to bed for our last day.

Last Trip to Ignacio - Came Home with Extra Cash

September 2 – I didn’t sleep well at all last night. I’m getting a bad vibe of how it’s going to be for the trip home and how tired I’m going to be. Uh oh! I made Bill’s regular Sunday breakfast and I left for the office a little early. Brenda was stopping by for cupcakes as she is working at the marina today and probably tomorrow. I took 18 cupcakes in but we didn’t have as many workers in the office today and the rangers didn’t pass through much. Brenda stopped by and took a couple and when I left there were still 9 so I left them for the late crew and for tomorrow if they’re still there.

 

Bill didn’t have but 3 sites to clean today so he cleaned up the dishes and took down my rope lights. He ran our generators and filled them with gas in case we need them on the way home.

 

After we had lunch we drove into Ignacio and boy, there were a lot of motorcycles lining the streets. We went to the casino where we got our extra $25 added to our cards. Bill sat with me while I played his card and we made $30. Then I played my card and I had about $50 and we both played some of the winnings but didn’t do so well. Bill went out to the truck to read and I played some other machines and won $81 so I was happy. We ended up for the summer ahead $287, so that’s not bad for not spending any of our own money. That’s a couple tanks of diesel for the way home!

 

We parked at the grocery and filled our water jugs and got some eggs and lettuce. After putting the items in the truck we walked across to some of the tent shops to see the shirts and things for sale. I got a shirt for Mark since he’s a “biker” dude. We stopped at the 7 2 11 for our last soft serve. We shared a swirl and then stopped at the car wash and vacuumed the truck before heading to Arboles for the last time.

 

Xena was glad to see us. We put our few things away and took Xena out. We weren’t ready for dinner so we read and I put potatoes and eggs on the cook to make a small batch of potato salad for Bill for tomorrow with his hamburgers for lunch.

 

When we were ready I grilled 4 brats for dinner with mixed veggies and I had sauerkraut on mine and we each had some sliced tomato. We finished the chocolate cake off. Then I put the double decker brownies in the oven to take to Harlan and Rebecca’s for dinner tomorrow night. While they cooked I got my shower and read while Bill did up the dishes.

 

Then it was time to settle in at the computer and play catch up on several days of journaling and blogging.

 

Now time for ½ hour of reading!!

Busy Work Day and only 3 to go

September 1 – My last weekend at the office started today. To get off to a good start I made waffles with chia seed, bacon and fruit for breakfast. It was a good thing as I was on my feet most of the time selling the most passes I have sold in a day the entire summer. I sold 99 passes. There were campers and boaters galore coming through. We were down to no sites in our camp, 2 tent sites in Rosa and 2 sites and 3 tent sites in Tiffany. Since I woke up a little early I got started on the dishes. I had to or I would not have had any room to make breakfast. When I got home from work, the campground was full of RV’s and kids and after a day on the lake it was full of boats too.

 

After yesterday’s work and cooking and today’s 4 hours on my feet, I was pretty pooped. I tried reading in my recliner and ended up taking over and hour nap. Guess I needed it. Bill had done a load of wash this morning and he dried it all and folded so I only had to put away my few things. He went to the post office and mailed a card and we didn’t get our last mail packet from Kam. Better be here on Tuesday.

 

Bill washed the RV windows outside and I cleaned some tape remnants off the door and around the replaced window. I also cleaned the underside of our 2 compartment doors that had gotten a bit grungy. Things are really shaping up for the trip home.

 

The leftovers came in handy as that is all I felt like doing for dinner. Bill had enchiladas and I had adovada. We both had rice and I had the black bean salsa and Bill had a small salad. We shared the rest of the peanut butter truffle tart. Bill had done up the rest of yesterday’s dishes this morning so he left the few we had tonight for tomorrow.

 

I made a batch of almond cream cheese cupcakes so I could finish off that frosting I had in the fridge. It would get too crystallized by the time I got home and I knew the ladies in the office would enjoy them tomorrow. Bill wanted me to keep some home for him to take to Newell.

 

We made our rounds and walked Xena and watched a bit of TV and read.