FINALLY….THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL!!

  Keeping this short today, kids..Got lots to do….But first,this is the last update on the train car from me….

 

LOOKING GOOD..BUT NOT OPEN YET….

Yesterday we had a Bon Voyage party at our house with our kids and a few friends……I made 2 pans of lasagna, and some snacks…Here is my cheese ball….

THIS IS CALLED A CHEESE GOBLIN….SAW IT ON FOOD NETWORK AND HAD TO TRY IT…..

The kids had a great time..I gave the boys hair cuts….

Peyton, left, chose the more conservative look…Campbell…not so much. Wonder where Campbell gets that “wild” attitude???? HMMMMMM..

Obviously, the dark haired little girl (Jessica) is NOT a Cave…she is our neighbor, and her Dad is Greek. She loves it when our grandkids show up at our house….

We had a campfire (imagine that), a few cocktails (imagine that)…and LOTS of good family time…

After hugs all around, everyone was gone by 8PM, and McGuyver and I were left with a very quiet house. Today we are finishing the last of the packing.  McGuyver will pull the Hiker up close to our house and fill the water tank….a few last minute things to pack…like the TV receiver, computer, printer, router, etc…..Some carry-out chicken for dinner tonight and we will  “hit the road” tomorrow by 7AM (hopefully).  Leaving the Hiker at our cousin’s farm in Chrisman, IL, we will drive our GMC to Indy to spend 2 nights at our youngest daughter’s house….Picking up the Hiker on Wed…and we are OFFICIALLY SNOWBIRDS  AGAIN… Not sure when the next blog will hit the blogosphere..

So….GET IN THE TRUCK, AND NO FIGHTING OVER WHO SITS BY THE WINDOW!!!!! LET’S GET THIS SHOW (CIRCUS) ON THE ROAD….!!!!!

MEXICO’S NOT A DESTINATION THIS YEAR….SAD……

First of all, welcome a couple brave new followers to the Cave Dwellings….Thanks, CeiPui…and Thanks Donna a.k.a. “Froggi”, for taking the ride with us.  We will try not to get you into trouble as you get in the truck and head South…Do either one of you carry a bail bondsman card????

  Now , for some serious stuff….Many of you may have heard in the news of the death of an American who was jet skiing on Falcon Lake in Southwestern Texas.  Dennis and I have spent at least 5 winter January months at Falcon Lake State Park  .  It is a lovely park, with low brush, nice level pull through camping spots…and is known for the birding.

  We have walked across the border at Progresso a few times, and the last few times there was a definite increase in Mexican Military .. with machine guns.  In fact, some of the Military Police wore a mask that was like a ski mask, so you could only see their eyes and mouth .  This is to keep their identity secret from the drug cartels.  It is very sad what is happening on our border, and McGuyver and I feel the Mexican border towns are really no longer safe to cross into.  Also, those towns are now losing their only means of support..American tourism. We both figure, why risk it?  The bad guys don’t seem to care who they hurt or kill in their pursuit of being the No. 1 Drug Cartel in Mexico.  Just as the TV show on National Geographic states, it really is a “Border War” down there.

  McGuyver and I really loved this campground at the state park, too…

 

..They have a great Recreation Hall, where they serve sandwiches and breakfast…Also, they have a nice laundry, a cactus garden and a butterfly garden…We really liked it there….and the weather in January was almost always 70-80 degrees…

    This is Falcon Lake, which is the dammed up Rio Grande..and you are looking across it at Mexico….I so hate to see this place go downhill due to the dangers coming across the border.

 

Last year, McGuyver and I decided to walk across the border one more time…at Palomas, just across the border from Columbus, NM….We had a very nice lunch at the Pink Store, and felt pretty safe….But still…we were out of our country and in “theirs”, and with the drug war escalating, I was glad to get back to Columbus, NM…This year, it is just too dangerous to cross.  Call us sissies or scaredy cats..and yes, you may be right,… but those people take no prisoners…

WE WILL MISS IT…

So, today McGuyver had his check up with his Cardiologist, Dr. Vijay Shah…Everything looks great, he has kept his weight down, (must be his dietician), his LDL (the bad cholesterol), is down to 67, which is AWESOME!! His EKG was great.  He told us to keep walking and eating right..(I’m not sure he knows about the occasional pizza, KFC, and “recreational” beverages).  He DID want Dennis to get a screening for his Carotid Arteries (the ones in your neck to your heart) some time this winter…We told him our daughter in Indy is a Vascular Ultrasound Technician, and he said “Perfect, have her do it”…We are stopping in Indy to visit them on our way South Monday and staying with them a couple nights, We called Chris today and she said “no problem”, so our daughter is scanning her Dad’s Carotids Tuesday at the hospital she works at….Boy, it sure is handy having a kid in the vascular medicine field!!! Especially when it is an issue in your healthcare!..THANKS CHRISTIE!!!!

I will blog once more, either late Saturday or early Sunday…and after that we may be incognito until the next weekend,when we settle for a few days and McGuyver sets up our Hughesnet satellite….We will probably be in Grenada MS….So, please don’t think we “dropped out”…and thanks for reading my drivel..it is much cheaper for me than a shrink….

THE TURTLE COTTAGE

    Yesterday I drove up to Elgin to see my sis. She has been in and out of 2 different hospitals and 2 different nursing homes many assorted times lately… Her quality of life really stinks right now, and she is slowly going down a very slippery path where most anything could happen.  I have been thinking about what could happen when we leave here for our “mecca” South, and have wondered on many occasions if I should leave.  But, as this all began about the end of July, she has come to the point where I think she will never be able to go home, and will be living in the nursing home for the remainder of her life.

  I have also decided that Dennis and I are going to go ahead with our plans to leave next Monday morning with the Hiker in tow…There is nothing more I can do here for her, and this could go on for another month…or another year.  I call her on the phone regularly..(sometimes I have to call her husband to FIND her, she moves around so much..I told her I need to attach a GPS to her behind so I know where to find her…Luckily, she has a great sense of humor)…And so, we will leave Monday morning…letting life lead wherever it may.  We are only a phone call , flight, or truck ride away…and it’s time to get McGuyver and myself on the road..together again!

  On a lighter note, yesterday, after seeing Darlene, I met an old college girlfriend for lunch.  I hadn’t seen Peggy since 1969, so it was a great reunion.  We went to a place called Golden Corral for the luncheon buffet. We both laughed when Peggy said we wanted the Sr. Citizen price..I looked behind me to see who she was talking about…we hadn’t been together since we were 20  years old..and now we were Sr. Citizens..Lots of water under THAT bridge, to be sure.

  After lunch we took a ride …Peg wanted to show me some of the more “unique” homes in the St. Charles, IL. area. She is a huge fan of the architect, Frank Lloyd Wright , and is very knowledgeable about various types of architecture.

 

 

 

Peggy calls this house “money gone wrong”….Not the most inviting home I’ve ever seen.  I thought the landscaping was one of those Prairie Grass yards, but she said it was just weeds.

 

 

 

This is Turtle Cottage…It sits high up on a hill that goes down to the Fox River….and it is really lovely….

Note the two fireplaces…and the pumpkins on the roof…Peg calls this an “Arts and Crafts” style home.

        IF  YOU LOOK CLOSELY IN THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT, YOU WILL SEE 2 TURTLES……..

 

 

ONE IN FRONT OF THE FOUNTAIN, AND ONE BACK BY THE PORCH…..

 

 

 

 

     

…..AND THE ONE BY THE PORCH MOVED…I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK…PEGGY LAUGHED…OBVIOUSLY SHE KNEW THAT MR. TORTOISE WAS A LIVING ,BREATHING “WATCH TORTOISE”…..WHO WOULD WALK THROUGH THE GATE WITH THIS GUY CREEPING AROUND??….I ‘LL BET HE IS A BIG HIT  ON HALLOWEEN!!! (I’D BE AFRAID SOMEONE WOULD FIND HIM AN ATTRACTIVE FELLOW, AND STEAL HIM!!  I THOUGHT HIS SHELL TO BE BEAUTIFUL!!)

   It was a great day, and just what I needed to cheer me up after visiting the nursing home….I’m soooo glad Peggy and I re-connected after so long…Like I said….just what the mental health DOC prescribed for me!!

Over the years living with McGuyver and watching him very meticulously start his campfires, I decided to surprise him and get one started before he came home…..

I learned the “teepee” stacking of wood by closely watching Dennis…a little newspaper stuffed carefully underneath helps, too….    

 

  So, the weather today was EXTREMELY windy..but not as bad as what Judy and Emma were in the middle of in Texas.  That is the only problem with RV’ing in very dangerous weather…Ya gotta have a structure to run to…unless you sleep through the warning, which is what McGuyver and I did once…

 

This one is for you, Nellie and Jonathan…….

This little critter wandered across our driveway the other day…I walked up to him and tried to jump around so he wouldn’t find the Hiker and decide to hitch a free ride South for the winter….He finally got tired of watching me make a total fool of myself, and he wandered into the brush…He just BETTER NOT show up somewhere in Louisiana, feasting on left over Cajun food crumbs in our camper!!!!!

THANKS FOR LISTENING TO ME…DENNIS AND I ARE JUST LIVIN’ LIFE…AND HAPPY TO BE HERE!!

CAMPERS AND SWAMPLAND AND GATORS, OH MY!!

First of all, welcome to new followers Wayne and Maureen…This blog can make you dizzy at times, so hang on tight…and thanks for being brave enough to ride along!

   Here I go again, taking a walk down memory lane…I still cannot believe I actually enjoyed this trip, considering the “interesting” surroundings…..

 

THIS IS BRAZOS BEND STATE PARK, NEEDVILLE TEXAS, SOUTH OF HOUSTON TEXAS..LOOKS PRETTY PEACEFUL…NICE SITES, CLEAN, LAUNDRY, GREAT PARK OFFICE…AND…….

          ..ALLIGATORS!

This place is actually a sanctuary for the American Alligator…and we saw tons of them….They warn you not to go too near (ARE YOU KIDDING ME??)…and…keep your pets on a leash…DUH!…also, don’t throw a stick in the lagoon and let your dog fetch it…(MAKES ME SICK TO EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT ONE!!).   I know lots of you RVers out there have small dogs and by now most of you have clicked the X in the upper right hand corner of my blog…But, around the place where the RV’s are parked there are lots of nice paved roads …FAR from the lagoons, so you can walk your little furry guys without worry..BUT..I would abide by the “leash” rule here!!  Believe it or not, in 28 years,  they have never had a human/alligator “incident”….For the life of me, I still cannot believe we got close enough to get these photos….

YA GOTTA LOVE THAT SIGN..DO NOT FEED OR MOLEST ALLIGATORS….LIKE THAT’S GONNA HAPPEN!!!!

There is a great Nature Center in the park and they take the local school children on field trips to the park to tour the Center… It’s really a very interesting and informative place…They even had a tank with baby alligators in it…

I wanted to pet this little guy on his cute scaly green, pointed nose head…but then the nice park ranger warned me not to get near this little baby’s mouth with my finger…IX-NAY ON THE ETTING-PAY!!!( Was that just pig-latin??)….He was giving me a very creepy look…maybe it was my “faux” reptile skin purse…ya think?

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This is one of the paths we walked and it went around one of the lagoons..It went all the way around it…..and it looked very calm and serene…

 

 

 

 

Following the pathe, we got half way around the lagoon when we discovered this big sucker blocking our path….

Did we turn around and walk back the way we came????

YOU’RE DOGGONE RIGHT WE DID!!

(Did I just use the term “doggone”??? Not a good choice of words…)

There is a really good site to read the reviews of Brazos Bend State Park…It is just Southwest of Houston, TX….

They also had an observatory on the property, which is a definite plus for this park….I believe it is called George Observatory…

The two photos on the right were taken on one of our “Lost in Space” walks…We were literally LOST in this large SPACE on one of the many paths that led you through the park…Eight miles round trip later, we found out we had actually walked right OUT of the park property…Nice dead reckoning by McGuyver…I did have the camera…but we didn’t have our GPS with us…Not a very smart move….Oh, don’t worry…I have never let Dennis forget this one!!!

I never did really relax when we were around any body of water…Oh, here’s a good one…there was also a sign that said “NO BOATING AND NO FISHING!!”..I suppose there are some idiots who would be dumb enough to think it was a good idea to do just that….The key words here are “dumb” and “idiots”…and you cannot fix “stupid”.

I hope we didn’t scare you off from visiting this great Texas State Park…It truly was a very nice park…And….I have to say, I really did find the gators very interesting and learned lots about them..(Not sure where this will come in handy, but it could!) I also need to mention that McGuyver and I found a great roadhouse about 5 miles from the park…

                                 IMAGINE THAT……

                   Thanks for checking in again….Here’s to life…and lovin’ it!!!

THE ‘HIKER’ TAKES A SHORT TRIP…I WATCHED.

  Yesterday Dennis and I decided we were tired of looking at the “behind” of our HitchHiker…AND, it was definitely pointed the wrong way for leaving here.

 

….Time to get serious about this traveling circus and get things going in the right direction!!  McGuyver likes to take the Hiker out into the back yard and turn it around…Luckily we have a back yard like a bowling alley, so it is easily done..Well, not “easily” if MOI was doing it!!..Plus we like to do this backyard turnabout when our yard is pretty hard and dry from no rain…and it is suppose to rain this weekend, so today was the day to let the Hiker get a new view…

So here  is McGuyver, demonstrating how to do the perfect short trip turn around in your backyard…

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME UNLESS YOU OWN A FARM!!

Yesterday I had lunch with a good friend at the restaurant which is housed in our local Country Club. 

The above photo was taken from the parking lot of Edgebrook Country Club..notice the tombstones just up beyond the fence…..Yep, that cemetery would be Oak Ridge Cemetery, the one where I spent a good share of my teen years.. Before they tore it down, there was a big old barn about where the fence stands and it belonged to the cemetery.  My Dad used to keep some of the equipment in it, and just beyond the barn we had a target range…Try having a target range in YOUR backyard…SWAT teams would be all over you!  Ahhhh, the good ol’ days!

I instantly loved this restaurant….and it’s spooky décor….

Our table was only a few “feet” from the greens….(sorry about that).

McGuyver is helping Pal disc plow today, so that leaves me with a few jobs… I have to go out to the Hiker and try to find a spot for our many “important” pieces of paperwork that we take with us.  McGuyver takes everything to do our taxes so he can do them online. We also have the all important BLUE NOTEBOOK BINDER, which pretty much has our life in it, not to mention extra checks, stamps,  passports.  Also, we have every instruction book from every phone, TV, appliance,piece of electronical stuff, AND every book that came with the Hiker on any possible darn thing that could break….

We used to put this stuff in one of the overhead cabinets at the rear over the recliners…That was all well and good until the door opened while we were traveling, tumbling all this paperwork out.  We didn’t realize it until we opened the slide and all of this “spilled”paperwork got caught and all balled up under the slide…It wasn’t a good day to be in near proximity of Dennis. So now, we are hoping to find a crate to fit under the bed and jam all that stuff in it….So at least it is contained!!! It’s always a learning curve when traveling…and if you think it ends…think again.

OK, this has been a fairly ho hum blog….I am still trying to recover from the Creeping Crud I acquired about a month ago…I even succeeded on sharing it with McGuyver, but it never let go of it’s grip on me yet!! Personally, I think a good dose of “traveling-omyicin” will help….See ya later…Thanks for stopping by!!!