Fallout
Search Web Pages




Journals
Journals 2013
Journals 2012
Journals 2011
Journals 2010
  December 2010-AZ-CA
  November 2010-AZ
  October 2010-AZ
  September 2010-MO, AZ
  August 2010-WI-AZ
  July 2010-FL, GA, TN, WI
  June 2010-WI, FL
  May 2010-AZ, WI
  April 2010-AZ
  March 2010-AZ
  February 2010-CA, AZ
  January 2010-CA
Journals 2009
Journals 2008
Journals 2007
Journals 2006
Journals 2005

Photos
Photos 2013
Photos 2012
Photos 2011
Photos 2010
Photos 2009
Photos 2008
Photos 2007
Photos 2006
Photos 2005

Favorite Links
Sublime Salon-The Best in San Francisco
Rand McNally Maps
IRV2
Hitch Itch (other RVer's Web Pages and Blogs)
Doing It On The Road
Art In The Sun
Running Down Our Dream

July 2010
July 26 - 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 27. It felt good to have an R & R day on Monday, after a few days of travel last week and a lot of visiting over the weekend.

Today was fairly busy with a visit to Mom, but when she started falling asleep on us, we headed back home so she could have a nap. I met up with Patty at the DeForest Farmer's Market where I loaded up on cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, and a beautiful batch of flowers. Windsor Breads had a booth of great looking bakery, but I had just bought some this morning. I had a little bit of time before my haircut appointment, so I stopped at the library to see if I could get a temporary card - will have to wait for an answer from the supervisor. I perused the for sale books and they just happened to have a couple that looked interesting.

We also had a nice visit from Mike's sister Patty and her boyfriend, Jim this evening. They didn't stay long, as they live a couple of hours away near Prairie du Chien. It was nice to see her again, as we weren't able to connect with her last year.

Wednesday, July 28. Some rain overnight brought back the muddy roads in this park but then it washed the previous layers of mud off the Jeep - a cycle that will be repeated over and over as long as we stay here. It was our day to get the house cleaned and the laundry done again.

The Hoovey's invited us to dinner this evening and she fixed a yummy old fashioned (yes, we had one of those too) dinner of cabbage and new potatoes served with ring bologna - it reminded me of my childhood. We hadn't had any of that in so long, it really tasted pretty fine. I made some blueberry smoothies for dessert and we sat out at the picnic table and played a few hands of Euchre. A nice evening with our great friends!

Thursday, July 29. We're almost out of coffee, so decided that a drive to Costco should be taken. Getting there through the country backroads is quite a treat, a very nice and enjoyable drive. Naturally, we didn't just get the items on our list but added several more.

After a little nap this afternoon, I got to craving some potato salad, so mixed up a batch, and called to see if Pete and JoAnne were available for dinner. They joined us for BLTs and potato salad and lots of great conversation. We enjoyed hearing about their recent trip to Greece. Another nice evening with friends.

Saturday, July 31. It's the end of another month that has just whizzed right on by. Friday was busy, starting with a visit to Mom in the morning. She was a bit more perky that she has been but still not interested in eating anything. She appreciates a Coke but spit out the chocolate that we brought.

In the afternoon, Mike went to Monona to visit his friend Jim, who is struggling with the effects of Krohn's disease. They had a nice time together, shooting the breeze, talking smart, and reminiscing about the old days. On his way back home, slowed to a crawl in a heavy backup of traffic on the interstate, he gets a wave from my cousin, Jo and her daughter that are heading north to the cabin, part of the weekend exodus of people from Illinois coming to vacation properties in northern Wisconsin. It's such a coincidence that they would recognize each other.

Back to Monona to Angelo's to meet up with Tom and Karen for fish fry. We also got to have a little chat with Louie and Dave who were already sitting down for their dinner. The Bluegill and Walleye dinners were yummy.

The only thing we did today was a drive to Wisconsin Dells to the outlet mall where we each found a few bargains, there are lots of markdowns and even those were marked down this weekend.
July 24 - 25, 2010
Saturday, July 24. It rained and thundered and the sky flashed with lightening for most of the night, but this morning is beautiful and we sit here with the windows open for the first time in well over a month. It sure feels nice.

We got ready and headed up to Wyocena to visit with Mom and she has a big smile on her face when we walk in. Dan and Sharon joined us and shortly after that, Pat and Ben came. Mom recognized the boys and was glad to see them again. We sat outdoors on the nice patio enjoying the day and each other's company. Mom was not very talkative and seemed to be quite tired - and not very interested in the Swiss chocolate that we brought for her.

This evening, we went to Pat's and he grilled steaks, sweet corn and veggies (onions, mushrooms, and summer squash) on the grill. Had a very nice time - so good to be with our sons again.

Sunday, July 25. It sure felt good to sleep through the night and not have the AC running or storms all around us. We spent most of the day with Mom, Pat, Ben, Dan and Sharon. It was one of those beautiful Wisconsin days with a perfect blue sky, a light breeze and about 80 degrees. When Mom was falling asleep on us this afternoon, we left and went to Ella's Deli in Madison for a bite to eat before Ben had to get to the airport. It's hard to say goodbye, he's had a rough emotional year - I felt so sad to see him walk away.
July 21-23, 2010
Wednesday, July 21. We traveled as far as Marion, IL today, only about 225 miles - that has become our norm, especially when we are driving on 2-way roads at 55 mph. We have become one of them - the driving starts around 9:30 or 10:00 and we're usually setup in our spot by 3:00. That schedule has worked great on this trip because it has been so hot that the AC isn't working real good. We've heard that some folks run their generator and the house AC while going down the road - we've never tried it and it sounds kind of scary to me. Also, why cool the entire 30' when we are only occupying 5 of it.

I drove the last 2 hours and wouldn't you know, it started to pour - and I don't really like driving in the rain. We stopped for the night at the Marion Campground and RV Park at a cost of $25 for the night, a nice clean and well-run place with friendly staff. Right after turning into the park, it started to pour and didn't stop for another half hour. We did go in to register, got soaked, and just after pulling into our site, the rain stopped.

Thursday, July 22. Yup - it was 10:00 when we got going this morning, but then we were only driving as far as Bloomington, a 220 mile drive. The drive was uneventful. I'm not even going to put a map on this section because it is just a reverse of the route we took a month ago. We are back in the land of blue cornflowers, Queen Anne's Lace, acres and acres of corn and soybeans, and red breasted Robins hopping about.

We're spending the night at the Kamp Komfort ($13) in Carlock, IL. It's a beautiful park and the swimming pool looked real tempting as we pulled in. After hooking up and getting settled, we headed to the pool. The 80 degree water felt so comfortable in the 95 degree heat of the day. A nice breeze is blowing, so it really doesn't feel too bad.

Friday, July 23. What are we getting into? The Madison news is telling us of heavy thunderstorm activity and flash flooding and a friend in Milwaukee is commenting on Facebook about the 7.5 inches of rain that fell there last night - flash flooding everywhere. Yuck! That is not normal for this time of year. I guess we will just deal with it, especially since Ben will be flying in for the weekend tonight. He wants to spend some time with Grandma, and we are so looking forward to seeing him again although it will be a short visit.

Mike called the KOA to see if they were flooded and was told that there is some water sitting around, but our site is ok. We can see storm clouds off to the north on the entire drive, but manage to avoid any weather and arrive at about 1:00. A white Honda approaches us as we pull in at the KOA - it's Pete and Joan (friends from DeForest and also Benson, AZ) - just happened to stop by to see if we might be here. They were told by the staff that we were would arrive in the next day or so - when they left the building, Pete looked up and saw us approaching. What a nice greeting! We talked briefly and made plans to get together again soon. Here we go!

Fridays in Wisconsin just aren't right without a Fish Fry - right? So we meet up with the Hoovey's and head to the Owl's Nest where we also meet up with Gary and Susie. The Old Fashioneds were as expected, as was dinner. We all agreed that an after dinner drink would be nice but the bar at the Owl's Nest was standing room only, so we headed down the road to another bar where the Hoovey's brother-in-law, Dick had told them that they should try a "Duck Fart" - only Dick and only in Wisconsin would an after dinner drink have a name like that. We had to try it - not bad - it was Kahlua, Bailey's Irish Cream, and whiskey - a little too rich for me, but not bad.

Back home, I tracked Ben's flights and got a text from him when he landed about 12:30. Now I can sleep, but Mother Nature is doing fireworks and dropping lots of rain again. So much for a good night's sleep.
Cave Spring, GA to Hohenwald, TN, 242 miles July 18 - 20, 2010
Sunday, July 18. On the road again! Our destination was not far, but it took a long time to get there, as it was mostly two way roads through small towns, mountains and along rivers. Beautiful! We will spend the next 3 days at the Natchez Trace Wilderness Preserve, where we get to stay for free with our Resorts of Distinction membership. The park is huge - over 500 acres with a huge lake, a lodge, cabins, store, boat rentals, RV sites, swimming pools, and just about anything else you could want EXCEPT internet access. It�??s going to be a tough go for us techies but I think we will survive. There�??s lots of sightseeing to be done and we can always go to the clubhouse for internet. Our spot is overlooking Chief Creek Lake.

It is kind of a shame as to how these parks have disintegrated through the years. We have seen it many times before with the Thousand Trails parks that are also part of the ROD network. They started out as membership parks but that membership has declined and they no longer have the funds to maintain, so they have become run down. The park has over 500 sites, some with full utilities and others with water and electric only. The swimming pool in our loop has been closed, the roads are rutted and have potholes, and the picnic tables are falling apart and the bathroom facilities are clean but definitely showing their age. Still, it is a natural preserve and a beautiful place to be.

Monday, July 19. What a strange day it has been, although not different from other days when we have been surrounded by dense forest and few modern technologies. We sat outdoors having our coffee this morning, listening to the birds, enjoying the sun coming up through the trees. An enjoyable walk through the park. A nice breakfast of oatmeal with cranberries, walnuts and sweetened by maple syrup. Reading, Sudoku, Word Games and talk.

I did decide to get the laundry out of the way this morning and there are 2 of them available. The first had only 2 washers and 2 dryers that were busy, so I drove to the other and it had 1 washer and 2 dryers that were busy. I headed back to the 1st and the washers were available when I got there. Again, the building is run down and they don�??t have near enough machines for all of the people here, but I got my stuff done in a couple of hours and it was behind me.

The shattered window on the motor home that we had secured with plastic, broke again, so we decided we had better remove all of the shattered pieces, since we still have the inner layer of glass. Mike pulled it out of the frame and we collected it on our rug, then dumped the broken glass pieces in the trash. All is good, the inside is still in good shape. We were supposed to make arrangements with our insurance company today, but no cell signal so it will have to wait until we get back to civilization.

For dinner tonight, I grilled some Trader Joe�??s wild caught Albacore tuna steaks and then flaked it with a fork and made a tuna salad, served on a bed of lettuce with sliced fresh tomato and cucumber - a perfect summertime meal. I�??ve never used tuna for salad that didn�??t come out of a can and it sure did make a difference and I won�??t hesitate to do it again.

Tuesday, July 20. After breakfast this morning, we set out to take a Loop Tour to see someof the historic places around here. Driving north on the Natchez Trace Parkway, we stopped at a scenic walk to the Buffalo River, a place where early settlers could ford the river because it had a flat, shallow bottom. Hohenwald, a small town that was settled by Germans and Swiss was our next stop but there wasn�??t much open.

A monument to Meriwether Lewis, the leader of the famed Lewis and Clark expedition that explored a commercial all water route from the Mississippi River west to the Pacific Ocean back in the early 1800s, was our next stop along the way. The historic cabin where he died was being renovated (evidence of the current stimulus money we keep hearing about). Mr. Lewis died mysteriously from 2 gunshot wounds, one to the head and one to the chest at the age of only 35. It was never determined if he committed suicide or was shot by someone.

The next stop along the way was to be Yoder�??s Homestead Market, but we followed another sign that said Yoder�??s Riverside Produce and it took us 2 miles to a rather scary looking farm run by Amish. Mike was humming the tune to �??Deliverance�?� as we headed down the road. Most Amish communities that I have seen were neat and tidy, but this was dirty and messy. Even the people running the place wore dirty clothes, but were quite friendly. The produce looked OK so I bought a couple of tomatoes, summer squash, blueberries, a cantaloupe, and a pretty little hand made basket.

Back on the main road, we finally did make it to Yoder�??s Homestead Market, a very nice store with bulk grains, noodles, dried fruits and nuts, and beautiful hand made outdoor furniture. Shaffer Farms Custom Meats was where we decided to have lunch, as they had some yummy Texas BBQ. We both had a chopped beef brisket sandwich and Mike tried the Hot Mustard Slaw and I opted for the Vinegar Slaw. Everything was yummy including the southern standard sweet iced tea. We bought some fresh smoked bacon and cheese before leaving.

Our last stop was the historic downtown square at Lawrenceburg, where we perused a couple of antique shops and stopped to see the Ledbetter Drug Store that has been in business since the 1930s, complete with the original soda fountain and ice cream parlor. We were still too full from lunch to have ice cream. Enough site seeing for the day, it was enjoyable and we were ready to head back home.
July 12 - 17, 2010
Monday, July 12. Our Florida vacation is now over and we head to northern Georgia to visit another high school classmate of mine, Susan and her husband Dean. Another thing we have in common with this couple is that we all met our spouses at Rusty�??s Bar in Middleton, WI back in 1966.

Our route took us north on I-75 to Valdosta, GA where we cut west on US-84 and then north on US-19. It was nice to get off the interstate as the roads were good and we could travel a little slower when the storm cells hit and there were plenty of those to deal with. I don�??t remember the last time we have traveled on a day that we have had so much rain. None of them were high winds and downpours so it really wasn�??t too bad. The roads were slick enough to send a few cars off the road and cause some accidents, but none involved us, thankfully. We are now in the land of peanut and pecan farms, very pretty.

We arrived at our stop for the night, the Devonshire RV Park ($12.50 with our Passport America discount) south of Albany, GA. It sure isn�??t much to speak of but we have a pull-thru site with full hookups, easy access to the road we will drive tomorrow, and a place to relax for the night.

Tuesday, July 13. Our route took us through dense forests of pines, oaks, and sweet gums today. It was a pretty drive and the roads were nice with the exception of going through the small towns of Newnan and Carrollton. The GPS took us right through the main streets and it one case, the road was so narrow that the branches of a tree brushed against the motorhome. They were pretty little towns with lots of big Victorian houses and lots of front porches.

We arrived at the Cedar Creek RV Park ($11/day with our Camp Club USA discount). I reserved a mountain view site instead of a creek side site because I knew that we would be spending lots of time with Dean and Susan and wouldn't be around to enjoy it. And then I learned that we get a 50% discount so I should have splurged. Our site is actually in a naked gravel parking lot - oh well.

Just before the rainstorm hit, Frisco and I got a little walk in and found the Cedar Creek to be a pretty fast flowing little river that tumbles through some waterfalls. We got back to the motorhome just in time, the rain came down in buckets, and then the storm passed through quickly.

Dean and Susan picked us up and we headed to the small town of Cave Spring, known for its underground spring that has won awards for its purity and taste and they have been unable to locate the source. The restaurant was closed, so we went into Cedartown for some tasty Mexican food at El Nopal. From there, we went to see their new house as they relocated from Muscatine, IA a little more than a year ago.

Back home, Mike was petting Frisco and found a great big tick on him, about a half inch from his right eye - DARN! He was able to get it out with a tweezers. I didn't put an antibiotic on it because it is so close to his eye - hope it doesn't get infected.

Wednesday, July 14. Happy Birthday, Sweet Niece Monica! My morning started with a nice walk along the creek, very cool and refreshing at this time of day.

Susan picked us up and we headed to Scottsboro, Alabama to explore the Unclaimed Baggage Center that has been on my list of places to see for years, although we haven't gotten quite close enough to stop there. It has been featured on travel shows on TV and is the place where baggage from many sources is redistributed and since I am a big fan of thrift stores, I've wanted to see it. It took an hour to get there, an hour to see it all, and I only bought a book - kind of a bust.

The town square was a beautiful southern downtown with large trees and red brick buildings. We stopped for lunch at Payne's Soda Fountain, a little restaurant that had been in business since 1869. Lunch was good but our conversation with one of the waitresses, a good ole southern gal, was most entertaining.

On the way back, we stopped at the Little River Canyon, a beautiful spot where people go for a cool dip in the water since there are all kinds of pools and waterfalls.

This evening, Dean wanted to take Mike to the Old Havana Smoke Shop in downtown Rome for a smoke and a beer. Susan and I dropped them off, then strolled the streets of downtown Rome, window shopping and just enjoying the evening. When they finished, we went to the Harvest Moon restaurant for a bite to eat. It was a very nice and enjoyable day with great friends.

Thursday, July 15. Our tour guides showed us around the area today and we really learned why they like it here so much. We saw the HON plant where Dean works and some very nice neighborhoods in Cedartown, then headed toward Rome. It is a town of 80,000 people and is very progressive with 3 colleges, a nice downtown, beautiful libraries, nice parks and lots of green space, and plenty of shopping and restaurants.

One of our stops was at Martha Berry's home at Oak Hill and the nearby college that she started in 1902. She was a quite progressive woman that accomplished a lot in her lifetime. The museum was closed for renovation but we toured her home and gardens. It was nice and enjoyable, a beautiful setting and a very nice story.

After having pie ala mode for lunch, we toured the college campus and it's beautiful grounds and historic buildings.

Back home, I took Frisco for a walk along the creek and he went right in, layed down in about 6 inches of water and took it easy, drinking his fill. Naturally, I had no camera with me but it would have been a cute photo.

This evening, Dean took us to dinner at his favorite restaurant, the Country Gentleman. Their son, Steven is visiting from Wisconsin so he joined us - a very nice dinner and good conversation.

Friday, July 16. I got up early this morning, opened the drapes and something strange caught my eye. A closer look revealed a shattered window pane in the upper panel of the driver's side window. There is a hole that almost looks like a bullet hole and the entire outside of the double pane glass is shattered. Did a bird fly into the window and cause it to shatter? Who knows? I have things to do and people to see today, so Mike will be making phone calls and trying to figure it all out.

Susan and I went to Atlanta to meet up with another classmate, Nancy for lunch. What a nice reunion and a great time catching up on each other's lives, families, and health, as we haven't seen each other since our 1996 class reunion. For over 3 hours, we sat at the Olive Garden chatting. I'm having a great time reconnecting with friends as we travel around - what an easygoing and enjoyable lifestyle we live - and we're so fortunate to be able to do so.

Mike learned that our window repair will be covered under our RV insurance, after we pay the deductible, that it will take up to 2 weeks to get the part, and it is ok to drive the RV as it is. Check out the photo in the gallery - it is strange!

I think we will stick around here one more day and make a decision on where to go next. We're kind of thinking it would be wise to head back to Wisconsin, we really don't have any plans and Mom's condition seems to be on the decline. We have learned that in the later stages of dementia, refusal to eat is common, they sleep a lot more, and become less sociable.

Saturday, July 17. Today was our day of rest, to just lay low, and not do much of anything. We invited Dean and Susan for dinner, but their guests from Iowa arrived a day early so they weren�??t able to join us. I went to the grocery store in Cave Spring this morning to pick up a few things that were on the list. I�??m sure not used to remote area groceries - the selection of produce was limited, most of the brands were unknown to me, there wasn�??t a bottle of bubbly water in stock and certainly nothing was labeled organic. I would have found all of those things if I had driven to either Cedartown or Rome, but I was feeling lazy.

We laid around and read, took a walk, planned the next leg of our journey, fixed a nice spicy chicken dinner and finished the day off with a movie.
Summerfield, FL to Cave Spring, GA, 490 miles
July 5 - 11, 2010, Summerfield, FL
Monday, July 5. Frisco and I had a nice walk this morning and we were greeted by some burros that came up to the fence as we walked by. At first, Frisco just sat calmly watching them and then decided he should be chasing them. Naturally, they scattered.

It is a good day to go shopping, so off we went to the Paddock Mall in Ocala in search of a chain for my locket. Just as we walked into the mall, there sat Rudy & Sonia - what a surprise. They were patiently waiting for Peter & Christa and family that were busy shopping, as they are able to find lots of great bargains in America. Peter was quite surprised when he saw us, as was Christa and the boys that followed. We had a brief conversation and then parted ways. We will see them again tomorrow.

Back home, it was a lazy afternoon.

Tuesday, July 6. Today was laundry and house cleaning day. I had forgotten about the sandy soil in Florida and how it sticks to everything and is dragged into the house. Even though we leave our shoes at the door and wipe Frisco's feet off, it seems to accumulate on everything. And somehow, Frisco's hair manages to collect on all surfaces - it's a good thing we love the little guy because he sure makes a mess.

This evening, we were invited to Rudy and Sonia's house for dinner and an evening with their family. Naturally it was a dining extravaganza that from 5:30 until 10:00 pm when we left. Starting with 1st drinks, then a delicious beet soup and salad, the main course of Rudy's barbecued ribs, potato, pasta with zucchini, baked tomato halves, dessert was my peach cake and ice cream and Sonia's carrot cake, wine, coffee and of course, chocolates.

After cleanup, Christa and I took a walk with Frisco to help settle our dinner. Then it was back to the table for more conversation. It was a great visit and we are so glad that we were able to see them again. It was so humid on the drive back home that the moisture formed on the windshield and the wipers had to be used. The air was so thick you could see it, not quite fog but close.

During the night, our AC was struggling - great timing. We shut it off and aimed the fan on us and were able to stay comfortable through the night. A few years back, we learned from a service person that the average life span of a roof AC unit is about 5 years and this one is 10 years old.

Wednesday, July 7. Well, the AC seems to be working just fine - we think it might have been just overloaded due to the high humidity. It worked just fine all day today.

I made a batch of Frisco's liver treats this afternoon and boy, did Jonnie's kitchen smell bad. I cleaned and sanitized the counters and sprayed air fresheners and it still lingered. Sorry, girls.

This evening, we went to visit our dear friends, John and Lucia that live nearby. Lucia and I became friends when we were attending the Master Gardener Classes in Ocala. They are wonderful people and we enjoy their travel stories and their great company. She made a delicious dinner of Tabouli salad, baked tilapia, mixed vegetables, and jello salad, we had wine, coffee, and Bailey's for dessert. Once again, we ate and talked for hours. We were having such a good time that we neglected to take photos again - darn!

Life can't get much better than this - we have so much to be thankful for - especially our family and our many dear friends scattered around this country. They make our travels worthwhile.

Friday, July 9. Yesterday was a pretty laid back day and the only activity that we had was a visit from Jim and Carol, from Salt Springs, about an hour's drive north of here. Jim and I met back 2003 at Master Gardener training and is another of our faithful followers on this site. We had a great visit over lunch, sitting out at Jonnie's carport - it was warm but we had a nice cool breeze coming through and just enjoyed the outdoors.

This morning I cleaned house for our generous hostesses, the least I could do for them as they both have had a long, hard work week. In the afternoon, we headed to our old neighborhood to visit with Don and Ruth that were our next door neighbors. We learned that our old house is for sale again, this time for $88,000. We bought it in 2002 for $57,000 and sold it in 2005 for $120,000 - that money paid for our living expenses and travels for the next 3 years. Looking back, we're so glad that we didn't invest it, as it would have just disappeared when the market took it's dive a couple of years ago. This way, we were able to use and enjoy it. It was nice to see Don and Ruth again and we have now seen everyone that was on our list to visit in Florida.

Back home, I cooked a meat loaf on the Holland Grill - mmmmmmmm! It was yummy - and no heating up the house with the oven.

Sunday, July 11. On Saturday, we had to take the RV somewhere to empty our holding tanks and fill up with fresh water. Ocala Sun RV was very rude to me the other day when I stopped by to inquire about the service as we had done it there in the past. They said that since I was in their computer as a customer, they would make an exception and allow us to dump and fill at a charge of $30. That is ridiculous, as the highest charge I have ever heard of was $15 and that was in Pacifica, CA. I called around and found another park nearby that would only charge $10 and the people there were very nice and friendly - in fact, she let us pull into a site so we could get fresh water at the same time that we emptied.

In the afternoon, we were invited to Mike and Val's for a BBQ and pool party. It was a perfect day for the pool and it sure felt good. The food was great too. The rest of the day was lazy and we all watched a movie in the evening.

This morning, as I sat here at the computer and glancing out the window every now and then, I saw 2 Pileated Woodpeckers pecking for insects on the ground, then came 2 brown egrets doing the same thing. When Frisco and I got back from our walk, he was all excited to see an Armadillo cruising along the fence line.

Today we packed up our stuff that was laying around and got the motorhome ready for travel again, as we will pull out of here in the morning.

It was a pretty low key day except for making a nice dinner that we shared with Mike, Val, and Amber. Our 2 weeks here have been very enjoyable, we got to see everyone that we wanted to see, and got to spend lots of time with Jonnie & Marty.
Mimosa_strigillosa July 1-4, 2010, Summerfield, FL
Friday, July 2. Yesterday morning we left Rudy and Sonia's house after breakfast and headed back to Jonnie's. She was home as her worksite was flooded from the overnight rains and had no work today. She was busy mowing the lawn so I quick changed my clothes and helped her with the trim. It's been a long time since I've handled a weed whacker and it wasn't long before my shoulders and upper arms were feeling the effects. What a wimp I am these days.

Mike's friend Ed came by this afternoon for a visit and it was so nice to see him again. We learned that he is one of our faithful readers, it always makes me feel good when I learn that some people actually enjoy what I write. We had a nice, but short visit.

This morning, as I was walking Frisco, I saw the coolest wildflower alongside the road. Back to the computer, I learned that it is in the Mimosa family, a very miniature version, no more than 2 inches tall. Jonnie no more than made it to work this morning and learned that she would have another day off due to the rains. When she got back home we went to the bank and made a couple of other stops; the Dollar Tree for doo doo bags, Tuesday Morning just to browse, and the Fresh Market for meat for the weekend.

Jonnie and I tried to come up with some modifications for our storage compartments - to make it easier to access the sewer stuff. We both had several ideas but nothing seemed to work out and we ended up putting it all back the way it was. Oh well, it was fun trying - we both really like organizing challenges.

Mike and I fixed grilled pork chops and potatoes for dinner, had some mixed veggies, and creme puffs for dessert. It was a nice evening sitting outdoors as it was cloudy with a little breeze and not as hot as it has been.

Saturday, July 3. A busy morning. Mike and Marty talked guitars and looked at videos about them on the computer. Jonnie and I worked on her side of the family tree. We were able to get lots of missing dates and names from Ancestry.com.

Val invited us up for a swim in her pool and about 30 minutes after we got there it threatened to storm so our swimming didn't last long. We got ready and headed to downtown Ocala's Red, White, and Blues 4th of July celebrate on the square. For about an hour, we listened to a nice blues band and then Little Elvis came on stage - he was about 12 years old, dressed in a white sparkly 70s Elvis outfit - he did a good job singing. Unfortunately, storms moved into the area and was vacated in no time at all.

Jonnie had been hearing that a new burger place called Five Guys was pretty good and Val had eaten there and agreed, so we headed out for a burger. They serve fresh grilled burgers with fresh, crisp toppings and also fresh french fried potatoes. We all agreed that that it is deserving of its good reputation.

Sunday, July 4. Happy 4th of July! We spent the day cooking, eating, and watching movies. I was having a hankering for pancakes this morning so mixed up a batch and had them with bacon. Later this afternoon I got the grill going and we grilled baby back ribs, as usual the Holland Grill cooked them to perfection. After having that and sweet corn for dinner, we were all stuffed. Hmmmm. I think its time to slow down on the eating. Jonnie and Marty keep saying that we're spoiling them by cooking all this good food. For me, I'm just enjoying myself and it feels good to cook in a fully loaded kitchen again.

Created on 07/03/2010 08:29 AM by bridge
Updated on 08/02/2010 07:13 AM by bridge
 Printable Version