Pecan Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream with good buddies..

A "progressive" Amish buggy...bucket seats instead of a buckboard!

A week has flown by here in Elkhart, and it's been a busy one with nailing down the items to be done to the MH. There are many good sources and lots of RV surplus/salvage stores and we've been visiting as many as possible.

Pals Smokey and Pam Ridgely are here in Elkhart also, getting some things checked on their rig and we've sure enjoyed our time with them. They shared the secret of Culver's Ice Cream Custard with us the other night...mine was Pecan Cherry on top of Chocolate...Great Scott, what we've been missing!! That stuff is addictive!!! We all had to go back the next day for a Cheddar Butter Burger!! Too yum is what it is...but our arteries are screaming like crazy! Guess next week it'll be lettuce and grilled chicken again!

They'll be heading back to Maryland shortly so our gastronomic partners will be sorely missed!!!

One of the really great things about this traveling lifestyle is all the friends we have made and meet up with all the time. Who would ever think two drifters would leave little 'ole Warsaw, VA, travel to Elkhart in the mid-west, and find not only Smokey and Pam here, but also Dale and Terry Pace arrived this weekend and dropped by the rig about 8:30 this morning. They mentioned that Gary and Deb Pearce, friends from Durham, NC had arrived last night. We met Pam and Smokey later, for a late breakfast at the Cock-a-Doodle Cafe, and as we were walking into a surplus store, a truck drives by honking and waving (who do we know in Elkhart????) and it was Gary and Deb. We also ran into them in another RV store...so the world gets a little smaller each day!! These fine folks make every day a better day!!

The weather has been sunny and seventy every day for the last three weeks and we are just lovin' it, but it's about to change!! Tonight will bring some showers and cooler temps are on the way so it'll be "whinin' time" for me....I just can't stand the cold very well. I promise not to complain too much, and will try very hard not to whine either (but it isn't easy).

Big hugs to everyone!

Survivor begins!!

Well, it is no secret that I am a huge fan of Survivor, so today was Survivor day!

There was just a little glitch, in that our power off-air antenna had ceased to put out a signal last week while we were in Celina. Bob ordered a new super-handy-dandy-hi-tech-type replacement, but the installer could not get it put on before we left. So it is on it's way here to Duncan RV, but, alas, it did not arrive today. So, Angela, our girl-Friday here at Duncan recommended we go to Between-the-Buns for dinner and to watch Survivor. It's a sports bar here that has 20" flat screen TV's in each booth. They have Corn Hole tournaments on their outdoor patio on Thursday night, so there was a big Corn Hole game going on outside.

Wow, it was great!!! We got a booth with a TV and ordered dinner. They had Thai-sesame boneless hotwings that were unbelievably great. They served a Taco Salad that was the best ever. Kind of a cross between meaty nachos and a salad in a crispy shell with a tasty ranchero dressing.

It is always interesting to see the different personalties and ploys that develop around the game of Survivor. Besides, there's not much else to do in Warsaw on Thursday nights, so it was always Survivor for us! We'll see if that changes while were traveling, but so far, it's still the routine!

So, we watched Survivor and ate another Yum-yum dinner and it was all good!!
There's a happy girl here in Elkhart tonight! :)

Big Hugs!

The Hoosier State

A wagon load of Indiana flowers!

What a beautiful drive we had on Sunday from Celina, Ohio to Elkhart! We followed Route 30 and then 33 thru the Ohio and Indiana farm lands, and it was just lovely.

One small town after another invited us to stop; each farm looked like it was waiting to have it's photo pasted on a postcard. The barns were especially attractive, waiting for their Autumn attire to be full blown. Because it's been sunny and warm, the flowers were still blooming colorfully.

One of our favorite areas has long been the land of the Amish. Each fall or spring we would visit Lancaster, PA, along with our kids, to enjoy the countryside and partake of the Amish goodies that abound there.
This was our first real taste of the Amish lands around Elkhart. The Amish here are a bit more progressive; they all seem to use electricity and blend into the outside world a bit more than some of the "old order" Amish in Lancaster do.

Baling the hay with a horse drawn team

Our first order of business in Elkhart was to get checked in at Duncan RV so they can begin the process of getting our awnings replaced. We got set up in their little campground here and they took us in promptly Monday morning. We will be here for around three weeks, but some of the work will be done at different vendors. Bradd and Hall will be installing the maple flooring for us, then we will meet with Carlisle Lehman of Focal Wood Products to make our valances and cabinet to match our maple wood. Carlisle is a local Amish man, well known for the custom wood items he creates for the RV industry.

We're really looking forward to getting all of the redecorating done soon!

Have you ever seen a "Pet Wash" before??? This Pet Wash caught our eye at the local car wash.....so you can easily launder your mutt!!!

The easy way to bathe your dog!

Things are fine here in Elkhart and the days are busy!

Hugs to everyone!

Leaving Celina

Grand Lake at St. Mary's Ohio

Well, the Rally was both fun and educational and we enjoyed our time with good friends. The week just flew by and it was time to head on up to Elkhart before we knew it. Several of us stayed over the weekend and left on Sunday, so we enjoyed each others company eating some great meals and chatting over the campfires at night.


There were many churches in this lovely small town, all of them impressive in their own right, but the Immaculate Conception Church was phenomenal, with it's lofty coppered spheres towering over the town of Celina.



Here's Jim and Nancy Tidball, Deb and Gary Pearce with Ellie, and Bob, in front of our rig.

So, we'll be heading out to Elkhart to begin the interior update and have the awnings replaced. Should be a very interesting week or two or three!

Hugs to all!

Gypsy Journal Rally

It's been a great week here in Celina, Ohio at the Gypsy Journal Rally and the weather has been a perfect "10".
It has been so nice to meet up with our RVing buddies here and spend some time together. It really takes your mind off the sadder things of the past couple weeks.

Joe and John greeted us when we arrived and got us into a nice site here. We're parked right next to Joe and Marcia; Trisha Schmidt, Deb and Gary Pearce, Jim and Nancy Tidball, Ron and Linda Fleeger, Hank and Patti Landry, and John and Doni Harding are all parked right across from us. There is a nice firepit and lots of firewood so we've had campfires most nights, with just a little chill in the evening and no wind. We sure miss Jay & Fay, Norah and Howie, Bobbie & Jim, Roger and Norah and so many others who aren't here.

The seminars and classes are really good, so we've been exercising our brains quite a bit here. Chris and Jim Guld present the BEST computer training classes; I attended one on Picasa and now need to get to work putting it into practice.

Photos and more on this nice trip and rally later!
Hugs to everyone!!

On the way to Celina, OH and Nick's Rally

Just a quick update to say that we are enroute to Celina, Ohio for the Gypsy Journal Rally. We left Roanoke on Friday heading north. It's been a very long week or so and I've been sick also; guess I picked up something from being around all the people.

Many thanks to all of you who have called, emailed and left comments. It means alot and it's great to hear from you.

We're looking forward to the mini-rally; should get there around 4 PM on Saturday, for those of you already there!

Hugs to all!

Another day...

Grannie left this world for a better place about 2:20 AM, so she isn't suffering any more.
She passed peacefully in her sleep, which has been our prayer all along.

She lived a good life and fought a good fight, so, even though we'll miss her, we remain thankful for all these things.

Hugs to all.

A Ninety-six hour day.......

Well, this week has definitely been a horse of another color.

We left the river about 7:30 Tuesday morning, heading to Roanoke to be with my mom (Grannie), who had been quite ill the previous week. She has had heart valve and hypertrophy issues for several years now and has been declining greatly the last two years, so we knew there could be serious problems.
Grannie is a tenacious woman, getting up and out every morning, refusing to lay down, even when having little breath to get around. She's like the Energizer bunny and just keeps plodding along.
But this time she was having severe kidney issues, with one completely shut down, and the Aortic Stenosis in her valve had worsened, so her "stuff" was just wearing out and winding down.

My sister, Brenda, had been staying with her from Friday until Tuesday and she had gotten progressively worse. I stayed with her from Tuesday until Friday night, when my sister, KK, arrived and cared for her over the weekend. That was about a 96 hour day as she was declining so rapidly. I now know what true sleep deprivation feels like! On Thursday, she was admitted to Hospice care and we have had a great doctor and nurses. They have been very good to her, and so helpful to us.

Mom is now sleeping peacefully and we are keeping her comfortable and caring for her at home....she told us to never put her in a nursing home, so we will take care of her, with the help of the nurses, as long as she is here. They have her on morphine and it is only a matter of time for her now, but she is not suffering.
Grannie and I at the Rose Garden in June

We cancelled our plans to be at the Chapter 51 Rally in Bloomington, and we will most likely have to cancel for our Class pre-rally in Celina and possibly Nick's Rally too. We'll miss it, but we are where we need to be at this time.

Hugs to everyone, and many thanks for your calls and emails!

Sweet Virginia breeze...

Another lovely sunset view from Rick and Tami's Island House

Sunday and Monday were brilliant, sparkling days with a sweet breeze, and it was a welcome respite after such a busy Saturday. Bob awoke with his back in less than fine form, so after finishing his cleaning chores from Saturday, he took it easy.

He made a Crab, Tomato and Jack Omelet for breakfast, Yum Yum! (Joe, you'll get them next trip for sure!)

Monday afternoon Brenda Hinson and George and Charlotte came down for an afternoon at the river. Charlotte arrived with juicy steaks, potatoes and salads. We had fresh bread, grilled shrimp and strawberries with pound cake, for a delicious dinner on the deck with a sweet breeze.

We sat outside, just talking and enjoying the lovely night until almost 9 PM. It was so nice to spend some time with Brenda (she's one of the original "Pink Sisters" and I miss her so much!). There've been alot of good times shared together in the past and she's such a joy to be with.
We've spent many a summer afternoon on the deck with C & G just conversing and enjoying the breeze and it was fun to spend another one! They are great friends, wonderful folks, and we always love it when they are at the river with us! Rick and Tami stopped by to sit and chat awhile, after cleaning their boat, as well as Carol Jean and Leonard. This is our favorite thing about being at the river (or being out in the RV)...folks just stopping by to chat and share a cool drink and the breeze. There is no better way to spend an afternoon!
Bob, Brenda, George, Charlotte

There's been a change in plans; my Mom is not doing well, so instead of heading to Maryland (Tiff's House) before going on to Indiana and Ohio, we'll go West to Roanoke and spend the next week or so (longer if necessary) helping to care for Mom. We've cancelled our plans for the Chapter 51 Rally in Bloomington, but hope to still make it to Nick's Rally. It's been so nice to have this past week to recover from all the "moving" work. Most likely the next few weeks will not be about things so pleasant as this last one.

Hope you're not tired of the sunset photos from the river, 'cause here's a few more. We never tire of the gorgeous sunsets here, and the last two days were off the charts in the beauty of them. There's a mandate here..."Sunsets are observed"....so here's the observation at it's best!










Big hugs to everyone!

Clam Bake and Island fun

The Clam Bake was planned for Saturday afternoon, so much of the activity was centered around getting ready for the festivities.

The first order was to decorate the golf cart for the evening parade. Tropical Island was the theme; fun was the driving factor! Linda and Charlie Moore provided lots of festive "blow-ups"; we had pink flamengos, parrots, palm trees, tropical fish and more! The decorating proceeded, as we huffed and puffed our way thru the blow-ups and before you knew it, there was a delightful, fun-looking cart, all decked out in parade finery! What a fun and whimsical activity....we don't do this nearly often enough!!

They huffed and they puffed.. Linda, Charlie and Bob

The big pots were set up, potatoes cleaned and all the other goodies were staged for the cooking of the pot to begin. It turned out to be the hottest day of the week and it was humid too, so fans were on the job to help out. The weather has been just lovely for the last ten days,, so the heat was a little surprise, but it was all good....at least there was no rain!

Bob layered the first clams and potatoes at 2:30 and continued with the layers of chicken, carrots, onions, sweet corn, shrimp and crab legs, cooking until 4:30 when the pot was ceremoniously dumped on the paper covered serving table!! Not only is the Clam Bake delicious, it's just as pretty as a postcard when freshly dumped for serving!!

Bob and Doug dump the pot

We always enjoy doing the Clam Bake, and especially so at the river. In addition, there were lots of wonderful pot-luck dishes, cooked up by our good Southern cooks. Charlotte Jenkins made her famous potato salad which I love! Carol Jean is required to bring the Banana Pudding; Martin and Sue's Crab Dip--which is the best you'll ever have, and of course, lots of Spoon Bread with butter!

Charlotte and George

It was so good to have Linda and Everett Hinson back here at the river....it's been a year since we spent our last weekend together here and had our usual jolly good time. Three weeks later he suffered a massive stroke and has been confined to a wheelchair since, with very limited ability to talk. We have had so much fun and adventure with these two...we miss all of our good times, travels, and mis-adventures with them. Linda brought him down in the wheelchair so they could enjoy the Clam Bake. She has also been sick, so they have had rather a rough time of it this past year. It was great to have them here for a little while.
We never know what tomorrow will bring to any of us, so please remember to be grateful for each day we have, to enjoy doing the things we love to do!

Everett and Big Ed Lewis

It was a wonderful day with good friends. We are so fortunate to share this little bit of river island with some really great people. The terrific folks who bought our river house several years ago, Rick and Tami, are just great guys, and we are happy to know them, and to see them love and enjoy the river as we did. They were gracious hosts for our Clam Bake, and along with their house guests, worked really hard to make it special. Charlie and Linda Moore are great neighbors also, who helped tremendously. And our dear, sweet Evelyn. She keeps us busy, keeping her out of trouble, and she laughs and teases with us constantly and brings so much joy to all of us.
And of course, our own Ed and Meaker, who we have loved from the first day we met them. They share much love and kindness with everyone, and we have shared so many good times with them. We are truly thankful for alot of good memories. Good buddies Carol Jean and Leonard who we just couldn't do without. CJ's smile and Leonard's stories and jokes always brighten the day. Jennifer and Dale and Jerry and Suzy are our kind hosts for so many island events and especially the "Tiki Hut", we appreciate them more than they know! Pauline and Lynwood and Rick and Paula, and their little island girl, Cameron, whom I am sure will grow up to be president of something wonderful one day.....we are blessed to know each one of them. Ed and Meaker

The Golf Cart Parade began around Six PM...what fun!! The photos say it all...

Paula and Pauline...Parade officials!

Leonard with Pete and Cindy and the kids!
Tami and Evelyn

A great weekend celebration!!!
Here's Mother Nature's paint brush at it's finest...a sunset photo from Pearson's Island....

Hugs to everyone!