On the road again to Cape Cod

Sunday we went to Hope Community Church in King of Prussia, Pa. Another church with FPU. Good worship service. We watched the Nascar races from Talladega, our home track. What a finish!

We have had a lot of rain this week. Monday morning was no different. We don't like to travel on rainy days, but our schedule dictated the move. We had some things slow us up, plus we were soaked after hitching up which required a change of clothes before we left. Allan and Don had scoped out a route out of town the night before because the roads around this area are very difficult to maneuver the RV. We drove about 7 hours to the south of Hartford, Ct. We don't normally drive this long for several reasons, but we had decided to stay overnight in a Wal-Mart so we did not want to get in too early. This was our first overnight Wal-mart experience and everything went well. We got an early start the next morning and was able to beat the rush hour traffic. It still rained on us all morning. We made it to Scusset Beach, Ma which is near Cape Cod by 10am but had to wait for an hour before we could check in. It was still raining pretty heavily and blowing cold wind while we set up. Another change of clothes was necessary. We decided to crash and have hot soup for supper. The rain quit later so Allan walked to the beach to get a picture of a wind surfer because he had seen the sail over the dunes. Unfortunately by the time he had gotten there, she had already packed up and was heading for home.

Today,we headed out to explore Cape Cod as the weather was suppose to clear up but be chilly. The sun did come out. We drove the back roads through the small towns and stopped to eat at a fish house. We met a nice couple, Sebastian and Betsy, who lived on the Cape. They invited us to join them at their table. We had a nice chat. They were curious about our lifestyle and they gave us some pointers about the Cape. We continued on to the end of the Cape to Provincetown. We learned that the Pilgrims did not land at Plymouth rock first, but landed at Cape Cod area and had a problem with the Indians and crossed the bay to Plymouth to set up camp.

We saw several light houses. The beach was beautiful but rather brisk. We saw whales blowing their spouts. Allan tried to get a picture of one jumping in the air, but he thinks he only got the splash. The ranger said they were probably humpbacks, but there are other varieties in the area. The rangers showed us some baby great horned owls. They looked almost full size. The houses are generally cedar shake shingles or clapboard. We saw two windmills that were used in the 18th century for grinding meal. One brave soul was out surfing in the cold Atlantic. We had thought about going to Martha's Vineyard, but the ferry was not running yet. The weather was not conducive for that kind of trip. We enjoyed our day without rain.

Valley Forge National Park

Don, Carole, Allan and Jeanne took Saturday to explore Valley Forge National Park. We went to the Visitors Center, picked up a map of the park, attended a movie that explained life in Valley Forge in the winter of 1977 and brief review of the battles of the Revolutionary War. We observed a live interpretive setup of the camp in Valley Forge. All the characters were in costume of the day. We were able to interact with them. The American Patriot officers and enlisted men were joined by French and Indians primarily, with some Dutch and Germans helping in the fight. They explained the problems in communications with the different groups. They showed and demonstrated the use of many weapons of the day (muskets, rifles, blunderbuss, long large caliber rifles and different size canons and mortar). A surgeon explained the different instruments and medicines and bandages that were used to treat the soldiers and how they handled amputations and treated gangrene. He said about 55% survived amputation. The casualty rate was 10:1. More people died of sickness and disease compared to ones killed in battle. About 1/3 of the forces were not fit to work because of lack of shoes and clothing and food. Each state supplied their soldiers. Some states supplied much better than others. The lingner was a woman who helped out in writing letters, drawing pictures (there were no cameras), and taking dictation. Other women in the camp did cooking, laundry, cleaning, and building fires. There was about one woman to every 10 men. The women were wives of some of the soldiers. We saw many monuments and trenches and earthworks. There must have been 100 deer in the park, at least what we could see. They were everywhere. The trees were in full bloom (white and pink dogwoods and redbuds).

Valley Forge Christian College

We arrived at Valley Forge Christian College on Monday. The college has several hook ups for RV's. There are teams that come in during the summer when no classes are being held for larger projects. They welcome RVers to come in at other times to help with maintenance and improvements. One man on staff, Steve, is retiring in June and he and his wife, Nancy, will be RV MAPS volunteers at that time. He already has his trailer and is staying on site. Another couple came in on Tuesday. Don and Carole Visser are from south of Boston. The whole staff is very appreciative of the help that the RVers contribute. Not only do they provide our site, but they also give us free meals in the cafeteria.

Allan and Don worked on exterior windows on one of the main buildings scraping, caulking and painting. Carole and Jeanne helped out in the Administrative building doing office projects for different departments. Every one is so nice to work with.

The college buildings were previously a WWII army hospital. It was purchased by the college from the government after the base closed. Many improvements have been made. They have also built several new buildings since the purchase.

Lancaster County, Pa

We traveled to Roamers Retreat in Kinzer, Pa. We had a view of Amish farmland from our campsite. As soon as we got set up Allan took some pictures of a teenage boy plowing a field with four horses. This was just the introduction into the Amish lifestyle.

The next day we drove to Hershey, Pa so Jeanne could get her chocolate fix. There is quite a history that goes along with the Hershey factory and he was a very benevolent man to his workers and to the town. We went on a tour that showed how chocolate is harvested and produced into the chocolate that we know and eat frequently. Of course, they had the chocolate smell throughout the tour which ended in the chocolate shop where you could buy all kinds of chocolate products. Next we went to a chocolate tasting seminar where we learned the way they made the different tastes and consistencies. We had small samples of different types of chocolate, not enough to satisfy you, but enough to make you go buy some. Notice the picture of Jeanne holding the 5 pound Hershey bar; we did not buy it.

We took the back roads through many Amish farms. The aroma of fresh cow manure was very apparent. We saw them loading and spreading the manure on the fields with a horse drawn manure spreader. We saw a man plowing a field with 12 horses. We were very impressed. We met several horse drawn carriages along the road and passed farms that had Amish products for sale.(honey, cheese, quilts, furniture and buildings and much more) We stopped at a farmers market and bought some fresh vegetables and a pie for Allan. We also stopped at a road side stand and bought a loaf of bread which was delicious. Wish I had bought more. One night we went to an Amish restaurant and tried everything they had including shoe fly pie. We enjoyed our stay in Lancaster County.

Virginia

We traveled to Virginia Beach and camped at Holiday Trav-L Resort on Sunday, April 19th. Monday we had planned to go to Chincoteague but due to bad weather we decided to stay off the long bridges so we had some much needed down time. We did visit the Farmer's Market. We arrived at the end of biker's week and this park is in between the international airport and the Naval Air Station so it was VERY noisy. We had jet fighters shaking the windows.

We left Tuesday and drove to Richmond, Va. We took a chance and did not make reservations for our next stop. We had no problem in getting a campsite at Pocahontas State Park south of Richmond. We had the park almost to ourselves. (It was the middle of the week.) This was an extremely nice campground. Very new looking with 50 amp and water and fairly level sites with large pull throughs. Wish we had time to stay there longer to explore the park. We would go back to this one.

Mike and Raylene Harton (she was my friend all through our school years) had supper with us where we were able to catch up from the last 40 years. I was able to visit Mr. Melton, Raylene's father. He lives near her. Most of the houses in the area are Williamsburg type architecture. We saw their beautiful home and a new patio they are in the process of building. Raylene served a great dessert also.

Wednesday we headed for the Shenandoah Valley. The weather was very windy and rainy. We prefer not to travel on days of bad weather but we have a schedule to keep. We camped in Front Royal, Va at North Fork Resort. It was OK for the price and one night stay. We set up camp and drove to Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park. It was very scenic looking down into the valley. The valleys looked green and the dogwoods and redbuds were blooming, but in the mountains they are a little behind. Lots of trees still looked like winter with no color.

Thursday we moved to Gettysburg. We camped at Artillery Ridge Resort which is on the edge of Gettysburg National Historical Park. We visited the visitor center which was huge and a new looking building. Allan attended a film that told about what led up to the Battle of Gettysburg and the outcome of the battle. There was also a show in the cyclorama, a large 360 degree painting that was produced just a few years after the war and has recently been restored. After that we drove through the battlefields, stopping at the National Cemetery where President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address. We then drove through Cemetery Ridge where the Union forces held the high ground. Then we drove along the ridge where the Confederate artillery had set up. They had cannons along the road and towards Cemetery ridge. Each state had erected a memorial to the men from their states that had fought in the war. This was the bloodiest battle in the war and in this war we lost more men than in any other war. This morning we got up and went on a horse back ride through the Gettysburg battlefield where the second and third day of battle took place. This campground has facilities for privately owned horses to come in and ride the trails and camp over night as well as their own guided trail rides. After the ride we headed for Lancaster County, Pa.

Saying goodbye

We had a funny thing happen yesterday. As I was going out our door, Dexter was on the top step. Attempting to gain my balance after trying to miss the cat, I saw a dark streak run into our trailer. It was another cat. I got the word "no" out and the cat came running back out the door with Katie chasing him. Good girl Katie! Katie rules the roost. She has been keeping an eye on us with all these cats around. I believe she may be telling us she wants this to be a one cat family.

We drove to Emerald Isle to the beach. They were using old Christmas trees to build sand dunes and stop erosion. There were kites being flown. The wind was blowing strong; a good day for kites. See the slide show. It was too cold to stay around for very long even though there were a few crazy kids in the water.

Our week included construction for Allan (installed finish paneling on front desk, installed finished plastic paneling in dog kennel, and installed finish Masonite paneling in cat room of hurricane building-glued no nails). Jeanne helped in surgery, planted garden, washed windows, helped with heart worm clinic. We both talked and played with the dogs and cats. We said our goodbyes today. Lynn, veterinarian, and Linda, manager, have worked many hours for a noble cause. Safe Harbor Farm has saved many animals' lives. Hope we can go back some day.

While we were preparing the trailer for moving, Katie figured out we were leaving today so she hid under the bed. Allan had to pull her out, but unfortunately she got grease on her back from the slide mechanism. Katie got a bath tonight. She was not real happy about the bath but she did cooperate quite well.

On our way to Virginia Beach, Va we traveled through the Dismal Swamp. We saw signs for bear crossings. Wish I had my camera in hand.

workamping at Safe Harbor Farm

Safe Harbor Farm now located on 61 acres in Maysville, NC is where we are volunteering for this week. They are trying to spay and neuter as many dogs and cats as they can. The Kindness Clinic offers these services for minimal fees. Although they have hired contractors to do some work, they have relied on volunteers for much of the installation and upkeep of the property. The Cat House houses indoor cats and post surgical/isolation areas. The Kindness Clinic is located in a 100 year old Catholic church which was moved to the property. They added a second floor apartment for the manager. Just recently the Hurricane Building was erected. This building is used for meetings, has washer and dryer for the workampers and will have areas for cats and dogs during severe weather. There is a nice pond near the clinic.

Safe Harbor Farm - NC

We spent the night at Wishing Well Campground in Sunset Beach, NC. It was not fancy but was well landscaped and very neat. Nice stop over.
We arrived at Safe Harbor Farm on Saturday. It is located just outside of Maysville, NC. We attended a meeting that day with a demonstration on Invisible Fencing. Our plan is to stay until next Sunday. We attended church in New Bern on Easter.

We have walked and transferred dogs. Allan has been installing wall board in the dog kennel and the hurricane cat room. Jeanne helped with Frontline on the outside cats. The weather has been rainy and stormy. It is quite muddy today.

Charleston SC

We stayed at Lake Aire Campground outside of Charleston where some friends, Kerry and Debbie Blevins, are staying while working. It was so good to see familiar faces while on the road. We enjoyed our visits with them so much.

We took a carriage tour of downtown Charleston, a very historic and picturesque city, with many generations of architecture displayed in the buildings. We had a difficult time parking our big truck in a town with narrow streets. It was a perfect time of year to tour by carriage. The temperature was very comfortable and it was not as crowded at this time of year. The azaleas and many trees were in bloom.

From there we headed to Maysville, NC with an overnight stop at Sunset Beach, NC.

Hunting Island State Park, SC

We arrived at Hunting Island State Park to find a nice view of the Atlantic Ocean. Even though our campsite was a pull through, we had to back in due to so many trees on the site and length of our RV. Katie was kept busy watching all the birds and squirrels. The weather was very windy and gradually got cooler. There were a few crazy people in the water, but they were kids much younger than us. We walked the beaches and visited the lighthouse. The island is eroding and becoming smaller each year. While driving around Allan saw some white birds nesting in the trees. It was very difficult to see them from the road and we could not get back into the area, so he got on top of the cab of the truck and took some pictures. I know the people who drove by while he was on the truck must have thought he was a nut case. It was quite comical. Just before we left the next morning, a deer came into the campground. A little girl was able to walk up to the deer and feed it, but lots of other kids came running and got too close. The deer walked away. We did not get a picture of that.
We are on the road again, heading for Charleston, South Carolina.

Waiting out the storm

We are waiting out the storm before moving today. The weather is muggy and the temperatures are to drop drastically tonight. I will look forward to cooler weather.

I am adding some pictures of Hilton Head and our campground.

GEORGIA BOUND

Our first stop was the driveway of our friends, the DeLongs, who introduced us. John and Sue live in Walnut Grove, Ga. Their yard was in full bloom and beautiful. This was a long overdue visit and we enjoyed catching up on so much. We also visited Dean and Larry Willard who are old friends, too.

Our next stop was Skidway Island State Park in Savannah, Ga. The park was pretty and Katie enjoyed watching the squirrels playing. We drove the truck to Tybee Island looking for the lighthouse but never located it. One man told us it is very hard to find and the sign is small. The sun was starting to set by the time we left there. The island has really grown commercially. I am not sure if that is good or bad.



We moved to South Carolina at Hardeeville RV Campground on Saturday. It is just over the state line. Allan and I took a trolley tour of Savannah that day as I just could not walk that much. It was very interesting and we had a lot of fun. There were several weddings going on that day in different square parks. The streets were beautiful as the live oaks arched over them with Spanish moss hanging down. The azaleas were in full bloom throughout the city. Savannah is noted for having more wrought iron than any other city which was very evident on the fronts of houses and fences. The city is steeped in history as it was founded before the Revolutionary War. It also played an important part in the Civil War. Many famous people have lived in this city and they were pointed out to us on the tour. The Savannah River flows by the city. It was an important cotton shipping hub in earlier days. Now big ships make their port here. On a current note, Paula Dean has a restaurant here called "The Lady and Sons". Apparently, they stay pretty booked up.

On Sunday we drove to Hilton Head Island to go to church. Even though the island was clean and had every store you could ask for, we were not impressed with it. We thought Sarasota, Fl. or Gulf Shores, Al. were better beach towns. It was difficult to get to the beach if your were not staying right on the beach.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

We had a nice time visiting with our three daughters during the month of March at our home base near Birmingham. We call this time, Home Missions, as Allan has done home repairs for 2 of the daughters. We also had an opportunity to visit with several friends from the Birmingham area. We had several doctor and dentist appointments scheduled this month also.

The lake levels are up due to all the rain we have had. The Birmingham area is apparently out of the drought they have been experiencing for several years. Spring has sprung. The dogwoods, redbuds and azaleas are in full bloom. It is beautiful.

I had my knee operation the first of March and am well on the road to recovery. I had to see my GI doctor. This lead to an endoscopy (looking down into the stomach). While I was under for that procedure a heart block (electrical not blockage of artery) showed up. I was referred to a cardiologist. An echo, nuclear stress test and blood work was scheduled. That was a long day. Allan was very patient waiting around. We are praising the Lord for a good report on the heart tests.

Our plans on this new adventure will take us from Savannah along the east coast to Canada and end in Vermont where we will volunteer until mid-October.

Recovery from Surgery

I had my surgery and have been back for my one week check. Stitches are out. I have some swelling in my leg and some discomfort, but over all this knee surgery has gone much better. They changed my pain medication to something not so strong and I had started my exercises before the surgery. I think this made a world of difference to my recovery. I have had less bruising and no nausea or vomiting. Praise the Lord.

Katie likes her view from her window and we have taken her over to Yancy's house so she can have a different place to explore. Last night we watched the movie Australia. Katie checked everything out in the finished room in the basement and then settled down at the back of Allan's head and then on my lap while the movie was on.

Allan has been busy making all the repairs and improvements to Yancy's house. Scott, Yancy's boyfriend, laid the pavers for her patio and walkway. Allan will be busy this week on insulation and plumbing modifications. Allan has worked on Venus' house doing gutter work, plumbing and cutting down a tree.

We enjoyed a nice meal with Pam and Ron Mays. We missed seeing their 7 puppies as they were all sold before we arrived. Supper at the Top of the River in Gadsden last night was good. We met Scott's parents and aunt there. His parents had traveled out West this summer on their Gold Wing and his aunt has been all over the US and other countries. It was a nice time to exchange travel stories. I was able to spend a few hours with Nancy Jackson, the first person I met, when we moved to Alabama. We had such a good time.

We have had some beautiful weather and some cold and rainy weather. Flowers and trees are starting to bloom here.

Yancy's house

I got my hair foiled today. Allan likes it.
We moved to Yancy's house. It is about 58 miles from Pelham. We made it up the hill. I was praying all the way up. Allan backed into her driveway perfectly. I was apprehensive about the trailer being unhitched in the drive way as it is downhill to the end of it. Then it is a steep drop off down to the woods. That would be a 6 Flags ride, wouldn't it?
We have to be at the surgery center at 10:30 in the morning.

Snow is here.

As we got things set up at the campground on Saturday it became colder and colder. We decided not to make a trip to Wal Mart that night. Our washer is not spinning good so we knew we would be washing clothes at the campground and opted for 30 amp. We are staying nice and warm. Snug as a bug in a rug. I woke up about daylight on Sunday morning and peeked out the window in hopes to see snow. Nothing. I went back to sleep and the next time I looked out there was snow. Katie was very interested in the snow. We got up and took some pictures before going to church. The snow became almost a blizzard while we were in church. Our area probably got 2-3 inches. It was a good sticking snow so I made a snow woman when we got home. We drove to Yancy's to pick up some things. She did not have much snow. In fact, by the time we got there, most of it had melted. It was good to see her, Scott and Maggie. We went from there to Venus's house. She has adopted a Pekinese dog named Bear. (Our new grand dog). He is a cutie. Allan surveyed the projects he needed to complete at her house and then we drove to Wal Mart.

Today, Monday, I had a doctor's appointment to solidify my surgery schedule. It is scheduled for this Thursday, time undetermined at this point. This will be to clean out my right knee. The doctor thinks it will take about 3 months of physical therapy, which I will do myself, to bring it back to its maximum ability. This surgery will not help much on the arthritis. We have done a few errands and plan a birthday celebration for Josh, Allan and Jeanne tonight at the Olive Garden.

Last days on project

Allan and I attended an Escapees Mardi Gras dinner and celebration on Fat Tuesday. They had their largest attendance for any gathering, about 240. Paul and Linda Odum (Santa and Mrs. Claus)saved us a seat (They are the previous owners of our truck and trailer) It was so good to see them again. We had a nice meal and some skits for entertainment. Some of the members are musically talented and treated us to band music. Allan and I got to do a little dancing. We met Darrell and Judy Patterson whom we have been following their blog. They will be in New York not too far from our location in Vermont. We hope to see them while we are in the Northeast. We met their two Ragdoll cats.

The fish the guys caught last week were fried up for our group. We even got fried pickles. They sure were good.

The job is still progressing great. About 5 couples left later this week. A few are returning. We left today. We really hated to leave a job unfinished and will miss all the friends we have made while there. The rain held off until we got on the road. We stopped at a rest area and waited out a short heavy rain and then headed north to Birmingham. There are predictions for snow late tonight and tomorrow. Very light though. We are parked in Pelham at the Birmingham South Campground. Feels like home.

Pig pickin'

Things are progressing great on the project. The roof is almost completed as are the two front porticoes. Since we are leaving at the end of the week, I will post pictures at that time.

Ray and Beverly Davis, one of our RV volunteer couples, own property near here. They invited the whole group for a pig pickin'. The weather turned cool and damp but it did not dampen our spirits. Good food and good friends.

Last night we went out to eat locally with one of my high school classmates and her husband, Connie and Jim Owens. We had seen them while we were in the Nashville area last year. They are headed to Florida to get away from the cold weather.

We traveled back to Pensacola to the Naval Air Museum this afternoon to see the IMAX movie about the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. It was good.

Allan and I have both been sick with bad colds which has made the rounds with our RV volunteers. We are getting better.

Work is progressing

Things are progressing on the project. Just wanted to add some pictures.

yard sale

The ladies have been working hard getting ready for the yard sale which will start at 7am tomorrow. This is the longest I have been on my feet and my knees are screaming at me. I need a little nap. The group will go out to eat tonight at the Olive Garden.

I was a little concerned about Katie because she slept all day yesterday and did not want to play much. Last night she seemed to run back and forth in the trailer all night. She would jump on the bed and make biscuits and then run some more. We were not very entertained last night. If we forget to close the bathroom door she delights in rubbing her mouth on the door closing it and then taking her paws and opening it. That creates a squeak. It can be annoying if you want to sleep. She had come a long way though and we love her.

trip to Gulf Shores and Yancy's housewarming

Yancy and Maggie (my grand dog) drove to Robertsdale for a visit last Thursday. We missed being with Yancy for her birthday so we took her out to Lambert's "home of the throwed rolls". We also drove to Gulf Shores to see the beach. It was too cold to get into the water, but it was still beautiful and a beautiful sunset. We got up the next morning, shopped a little and then drove back to Odenville for Yancy's housewarming party. Everyone had fun. The girls did a wonderful job of decorating and getting the food set up. Lots of work went into it. Thanks. Yancy and I went shopping on Saturday and drove south of Montgomery on Sunday to meet Allan. It was good to see him. I finished "The Christmas Sweater" by Glenn Beck. Enjoyed it.

pictures of Naval Air Museum

These are pictures of Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, Florida. We forget our camera and had to buy disposable. Inside pictures did not turn out well, but outside pictures were pretty good.

busy bees

The building project is coming along. The roofing plywood and plastic covering were installed today over the sanctuary. Rain is predicted for tomorrow. They were installing the baptismal unit and form walls for the activities building. No one has been hurt on the job. The roofing contractor's son came in today with 15 stitches down the side of his head and a broken ear drum from bull riding. A bull stepped on his head. Ouch! As soon as he can put a cowboy hat back on his head, he said he would be back riding the bulls. Cowboy up!

Weekend before last we were invited to Jim and Lynne Parker's house for supper. It was so good to see them. We had never seen their house. Lynne and I have something in common. (a love for horses, but we had to sell our horses due to physical problems). Their house is beautiful and Jim has done some great tile work. Tammy,their daughter, brought an old friend home with her. It was good to talk with her. They fed us a wonderful meal and we just enjoyed their company. Lynne even gave us some fresh lettuce from her garden and lemons.


We were invited to Joe and Bea Williams's house on Sunday afternoon for lunch. We had not seen them in years. Joe and Bea are friends from the Montevallo Baptist Church.They have such a nice garden home right on the golf course. They are such a neat couple who will always be young no matter how old they are.

We visited the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola. It was very interesting. We got there late so we hope to go back to see more in February.

Butch Walker picked us up tonight and took us out to the Olive Garden. It was good to see a familiar face. He is always fun to be around.

We have been very busy with work here at the church and elsewhere. I have not had much time to blog. Sorry to take so long in getting this going. If it is not too dreary and rainy tomorrow, I hope to get pictures of the progress of the church building. What a difference. The ladies have started a Beth Moore Bible Study on Believing God which I am excited about. We also have a prayer time one afternoon a week. The guys have started a study on the names of God. We go out to eat on Thursday nights as a group and after church on Sunday. Then we get ice cream later on Sunday afternoon. The ladies are cooking a big lunch for all the workers Monday through Friday. To say the least, we are not dieting. My knee is coming along ok. Yancy will be taking me back on Friday to her house for the weekend. She is having a housewarming party. I am looking forward to spending some time with her.

Work goes on

Crane has finished setting trusses on the church. Roofing has started. Allan is still putting up 12 foot metal stud walls. The church has provided lunches everyday this week. The RV group goes out for meals several times a week.

The temperature has dropped with highs in 50s and 40's and lows 20's and 30's. This is below normal for this area, but apparently most of the US is experiencing cold weather. At least it is not -45 degrees. The farmers are covering the strawberries.

I drove to the nearest grocery store by myself. Couldn't make it through all the aisles due to knee getting tired. The knee is progressing though. There is a walk/bike trail through the town here that I can't wait to try out.

We have finished our first week here in Robertsdale. Tomorrow the trusses are to be set on the new church building with roofing to follow.
Allan went out to eat with the group for supper on Thursday night at Ryan's Steak House. Saturday Allan and I drove to the Escapees Rainbow Plantation in Summerdale. Looks like they were full. We decided to eat at the Oyster House in Gulf Shores. Yum. Good food.
We attended Sunday School and church here at the project. We were given a fruit basket as new comers in the RV Maps group. Our group went out to eat after church at MaMa Lou's in Robertsdale. What a delicious buffet. Later, we drove to Camp Baldwin, a Baptist campground, to see some Campers on Mission friends that we had worked with on previous projects. Good to see Terry and Nancy and Billy and Brenda, Wilton, Waylon, Fred and Mary and others.
Weather here has been wet and rather warm, but today the thermometer has been dropping steadily. Back to the winter clothes.

Arrival in Robertsdale, Al

Date should show Jan 10.
Last Sunday we arrived in Robertsdale in the dark. Ed Evans met us at the turn off and led us to the church parking lot where we dry camped over night. Monday morning we pulled our trailer into the site and hooked up, joining about 14 other rigs. When we started work they were preparing for the concrete pour on the sanctuary walls about 37 feet high. I helped in pouring concrete on the foundation wall for the extended fellowship hall and we have begun installing 12 foot high metal stud walls in the interior of the building.

Jeanne is recovering from surgery. She is doing her exercises but over did the walking. The next day she was in a lot of discomfort and took a pain pill which caused adverse reactions and vows not to take those pills again.

We have found the people to be very friendly and like to socialize after work. We have had to send off for a new air card as ours died. The pastor offered the wifi site while we are waiting. We have several friends in the area and hope to visit them while we are here. Will take some pictures soon.

Busy Schedule for December

Hopefully, we have learned not to schedule so many activities whether on the road or back at home. We have been way too busy. Yancy's house closed much later than was originally planned. Diane had her annual Christmas party, this being the second one at her new house. As usual she and her mom served lots of great food and was all decorated through out her house. We played dirty Santa. The group will meet here again for New Year's Eve as we have no place to have our annual party. I was invited to the annual bunco Christmas party. It was so good to see everyone. I was also able to attend Sandy's annual Christmas party for the horse ladies. She had a good turnout.

Kyle and April took us out to eat at Logan's Steak House in Trussville. It was so good to see them.

We were invited for a wonderful meal at Joe and Carolyn Segler, some of our RV Dreams family.

We met Ron and Pam Mays and Van and Faye Hayes at the Olive Garden. They are great friends of ours that we were involved with in Crown Financial Ministries and Dave Ramsey's FPU.

Joe and Shirley Lewis met us at our usual Cracker Barrel. We enjoyed catching up with them and what is going on in their lives.

Home: Pelham, Al.

Allan and I attended our first Campers on Mission Christmas party. It was so good to see friends we had worked with on different jobs.

We moved to Birmingham South RV Campground yesterday. We are happy to be back near our family and friends. Katie noticed the view was different. Where did the lake and geese go?? She is happy and attention is on all the squirrels and birds.

Allan has gone to help our daughter, Venus, with the Daddy-Do list on her house, while I will be working on our Christmas cards. Sunday after church, I will help Yancy at her work and boxing up kitchen things.

We have several doctor's appointments and parties scheduled for next week.

Lakeside Landing, Pell City, Al

We met Venus and Joshua in Moody. Joshua drove us to see April. She wanted us to see the horses, dog and cats. We enjoyed our visit even though it was short, but we will see them more in December.
Katie is exploring anything new we bring in. She is also starting to greet us at the door with verbal hellos.
We watched the Alabama/Auburn game at Yancy's today.

Finishing the job and traveling to Pell City

We finished our time at the Restoration Ranch. This facility is helping people get their lives back on track, most coming from a history of either drugs, alcohol or prison. We were really touched by the dedication of the people and their need. Their only source of revenue is donations. There is no fee for the people who come here.

The travel to our new destination was a little stressful for Katie, but she did survive. She did a lot of backseat driving.

We like the new RV park. It has a beautiful view of Logan Martin Lake. We are just south of Pell City. There are lots of geese and ducks in the park and Katie is enjoying watching them through her window perch. We woke up to the honking of the geese yesterday.

Yesterday we attended church at Church of the Highlands with Yancy and Scott. Afterwards we had lunch and went to see Yancy's house she is purchasing. We are very pleased with its condition and her choice.

Frank Lloyd Wright House

I took a day off from work and met Nickie Taylor, a high school classmate who lives in Decatur, Al. She drove over and showed me around the area. Neither one of us had been to the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Florence. We got a guided tour through the unique house. He wanted the houses to blend into the outside and let the outside come inside, using similar materials and natural lighting. It was quite interesting. The house was built in 1939. He was way ahead of the times.

From Frank Lloyd Wright House & Restoration Ranch

I have been working in the Thrift Store going through clothes that have been donated to Restoration Ranch. Today I started mudding in the building the guys are working on. They have done so much work in such as short time and quality work, too. Allan got a taste of different crafts, doing interior framing, helping with plumbing and electrical, and installing sheet rock. We hope to finish hanging the major sheet rock by tomorrow.

From Frank Lloyd Wright House & Restoration Ranch

From Frank Lloyd Wright House & Restoration Ranch

From Frank Lloyd Wright House & Restoration Ranch

SWEET HOME ALABAMA, Tuscumbia, Al.

We are definitely in Alabama and oh how good it feels. There is evidence all around it is Alabama. (Fire ant hills) Haven't seen those fellas in a long time. Allan has come down with the crud in his head and chest. He was only out one day of work though. Hard to keep a good man down. I tripped over the cat scratcher and fell into the table. I apparently twisted both knees, back and bruised my abdomen. Knees are giving me a little problem, but otherwise I am fine.



We have attended a devotional service on Friday night, play on Saturday night and church on Sunday here at the Ranch. They are doing such a work for the Lord here. It is amazing at the lives that have been changed. We will be here another week.

Katie the kitty, Tuscumbia, Al

When I woke up Monday morning the first thought that came to me was the word Katie so I named Tinker Belle Katie the kitty. Katie has been in the humane society for some time apparently and then she was adopted by a lady the day before we saw her. She returned her because her cats and Katie didn't get along. It takes a while with cats, but I'm glad she returned her. Katie was loosing so much hair and I am sure a lot of it was from all the stress. We put her in the big, noisy truck and drove for 3+ hours with a stop or two. She expressed a dislike for the carrier so we let her out in the cab with us on a leash. She found a corner in the back seat and slept all the way. What a good kitty. She got to meet Holly, Terry and Nancy's tiny dog, when we arrived at our destination. No growls or hisses. They just touched noses. We got settled in and let Katie back in the RV. She was glad to be back home. Last night she started on the end of the bed and ended up between the two of us. We all slept good.
We are several miles out of Tuscumbia. No TV other than snowy PBS. The men will be working on a new building on the inside doing framing of walls. It has been cool and cloudy and has started to rain. This place is called Restoration Ranch. It helps people get their life back in order.

Class reunion, LEBANON, TN

We arrived in Lebanon on Wednesday, Nov 5 and camped at Timberline RV Park. It is full of long term residents.

Thursday we visited several Petsmart stores looking at the kitties. Made a quick stop at Barnes and Noble for some kitty books. Allan and I visited Dave Ramsey's facility. It was much larger than I thought it would be. They have chairs in the lobby so you can watch Dave live doing his radio program. Dave actually came out and met us. I never dreamed he would have time to do that. We visited the bookstore to become familiar with the children and teenage materials. Of course, we bought a few things, too. I found the neatest shop for cats and dogs. (The Cat Shoppe Dog Shoppe near 100 Oaks shopping center). They have so many breed related gifts and fun things for cats and dogs and people. We met my cousin Ingram Howard for supper. I had not seen him in quite some time. He brought me up to date on his family. If you have been reading our blog you may remember we met with his mom, sisters and brother in Memphis in June.

We met my classmates for supper on Friday night and a gathering in the lobby of the hotel afterwards. Some I had not seen since 1965. We drove by Opryland Hotel. It was beautiful as they had begun decorating for Christmas. Next weekend is the official starting of Christmas lights.

Saturday we drove into Nashville to the humane society and found a kitty. She is a white DSH 3 year old. She jumped right up in Allan's lap and molded herself to his chest. We have to wait until Sunday to pick her up. I got a call from Nickie telling me Johnny and Cindy Thrasher were here for a few hours for the reunion . They were going to lunch and wanted us to come along. We met them with cat hair all over us. After lunch we drove back to Lebanon to get cleaned up to meet again for supper and lobby tales again. It was such fun. So good to meet old classmates and catch up on the latest. Allan was very patient since he didn't have a clue who we were talking about most of the time.

Today, we attended Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Lebanon. We drove to pick up toys and must have items for the kitty and then on to pick her up. The humane society named her Tinker Belle. We don't know if we will keep her name. Tinker Belle rode in the truck in my lap all the way home. She has checked out the RV from end to end and every crack and cranny and approves. She is drinking, eating and using the litter box. She seems content for this being
her first night with us. Hope we all three get some sleep. Allan checked on her several times when she went into the bedroom. He said she was resting on his side of the bed.

Crossville, Tn

Late last night we decided to stay here for one more day. We slept in a little later this morning before going on a hike around the lake. (over 3 miles) There are lots of geese on the lake. The temperature was great although it is starting to drop. I closed the windows and doors. We have lots of little jobs to do around here. Not much to report on. We will watch some of the election on TV tonight. Hope everyone voted and did not have to stand in line too long.

Humane Society, Crossville, Tn

Today was a different kind of work. We were volunteering our services but it was not construction. We went to Crossville Humane Society and spent the day among the animals. We walked dogs and played with cats. Another job we were able to do was cleaning and sanitizing crates which were used for transporting dogs to nursing homes and to the store for adoption days. Jeanne was also very helpful in showing visitors the dogs and cats while the manager and staff helped with completion of adoptions and answering phone. They were very happy we came today because this turned out to be an unusally busy day. Five adoptions were processed which is usually the total for the week. We returned to our campground after driving through downtown Crossville. It was time for supper but we decided to take a walk across the dam as it was getting dark and the temperature was dropping. We plan to leave in the morning.

Appalachia Museum

We toured the Appalachia Museum which was quite interesting. It took a lot of work and money to assemble all the artifacts and buildings in this one large area. It showed pictures and stories of people who lived in the area and their hardships.

We left Heiskell and camped at Crossville, Tn. on Sunday. Allan got a few pictures of the campground and area. The name of the campground is Deer Run. It appears to be a big operation. Lots of activities in the summer. They have a large area that has lots that are sold which people put an RV on year round and come occasionally throughout the year. There are two campgrounds for people pulling in for short stays. We are in a campground with only one other RV. It's kinda nice to have so much privacy and half the lake to yourself. We took a drive to Jamestown where we used to go horseback riding. This brought back memories. You will notice the colors are changing on the trees.

Museum visit

We took a trip to Oak Ridge to visit the American Museum of Science and Energy. This was full of all kinds of info about energy, physics and how Oak Ridge was built during WWII. This is where they developed the atomic bomb that was used on Japan which brought an end to WWII. It is not what you think of as a typical museum. Like its name, it showed how science developed energy in many different forms and fields from their conception to the present. Very interesting. We did not have enough time to tour the whole museum because we got there too late. If you visit the area it is well worth your time and allow at least 4 hours minimum.

Back in Heiskell, Tn

We traveled to Sevierville, Tn. on Monday, Oct. 20 and camped at River Plantation RV Park. Several of our Campers on Mission friends were already there. We went out to eat one night and had a potluck another night. Allan and I went to Cades Cove. It was a beautiful day. We saw quite a few deer and a flock of wild turkey. There was a big traffic jam as we were leaving which turned out to be a bear, a large one. A few crazy people were following it up the mountain to get a picture. The ranger ran them off. Allan tried to get a picture, but he only got trees.
We stayed two extra days because Jim and Connie Owen were coming in. They had been in the West when we were there but we had missed each other by a few days at different locations. She and I were classmates in high school. We had an early supper and a nice visit on Friday. Saturday was moving day. We traveled back to Heiskell, Tn. at the same campground, Raccoon Valley. This week will be time to catch up on chores and cleaning of truck and trailer.

Heiskell, Tn

We arrived in Heiskell, Tn on Saturday and are camping in our first Escapees Rainbow Park (Raccoon Valley RV Park). They started using over flow camping soon after we arrived. The sites are small but we were able to pull through with no difficulty. Everyone is so nice here. We have had two socials in the two days we have been here. Last night they had ice cream. About 32 people attended. We found a trail at the back of the park. We didn't realize when we started that the trail went to the top of the hill (mountain) and back. We got our exercise in at least with neither one of us coming back on a stretcher. Because of my knees, at one point I told Allan that he might have to leave me for the food chain but I rested and then used him for support going down the hill. Allan said he had been a Boy Scout and he was used to helping old ladies across the street. We are heading out this morning for Sevierville for several days to camp with some friends. Hope the big crowd is gone, but we doubt it. We may come back here for a few more days of camping.

Oneida Baptist Institute, Oneida, Ky

We arrived in Oneida, Ky. on Oct.4th, Saturday afternoon. There are no straight roads coming to this school. We are in the eastern Kentucky mountains with roads being very winding. Jake Carroll, the Campers on Mission director of this project, was there to meet us as we came into the campground area to help us get parked. We were pleased that we will have water, 30 amp electric and sewer for the next two weeks. Oneida is in a black hole as far as cell phone, Internet and TV's are concerned unless you have a sat elite dish, which we don't. We started meeting many of the COM members, some of which we had worked with in Montana or had met at the Gadsden rally last year. We went to church on Sunday and greeted more COM members as they arrived. Monday morning we met as a group and were assigned a project. Jeanne is working in the craft shop and Allan is working with Bob White's crew on demolishing a roof from a building and replacing it with a new one. Our rainy day project consisted of putting up shelving in a locker room. We are very fortunate that they feed us three meals a day along with the staff and students.

Oneida Baptist Institute is a Christian boarding school with grades from 6-12. Many students come from foreign countries. Some of the students come from schools and homes where they have had problems adjusting. Oneida not only teaches academics,but
bible studies, too. They involve the students in campus work, sports and also horticulture and agriculture.

This is a beautiful area. The trees are changing color. There was some kind of virus? going around. Allan picked up the virus but is better now.



We were treated to a tour of the farm where they raise their own pigs, cattle, goats and grow their own crops. It is quite an operation. It helps feed the staff and students.

We were able to go to London last weekend and purchase some equipment so we could hook up to a external antenna and a booster amplifier for the phone and Internet so we can connect to the rest of the world.

We will be leaving in the morning after working here for two weeks. We certainly enjoyed our time here.

Drive through Lexington countryside

We met Cousin Janet at her house today and she drove us through the Lexington/Versailles countryside to view the vast horse farms in the area. The leaves are starting to change. The countryside was beautiful with the manicured pastures and wood fencing. There were several old mansions that were Pre-cival war and well kept. Many of the massive size buildings were horse barns rather than houses. All of them had three cupolas which is traditional for the horse barns of this area. Many of these farms have been family owned and passed down through the years, but recently there are some large corporations which have bought up old farms and adjoining property. Some owners are sheiks from Dubai. Many are owned by famous personalities such as Johnny Depp and William Shatner. We sure don't want to forget one of the noteworthy landmarks of the area. It is a large castle on a hill that was started 25 years ago.(see the slide show) It has been sitting vacant for many years but a company has recently purchased it to be used as a bed and breakfast. Anyone interested at $3000 a night? Janet also took us to a quaint small town, Midway, which has not changed much since the 1800s. We also went to an apple orchard and had some apple donuts and experienced a hay ride around the property. Besides apples they sold pumpkins, gourds, berries and grapes which are all grown on the property. We enjoyed watching the children playing on the giant slide going down on burlap sacks. They had a unique playground. We managed to avoid the heavy traffic as this was the first day of races at Keenland Park. They had a big turnout.

We stopped at the Pisgah Presbyterian Church where Janet is a member. It was founded in 1784. It had beautiful stained glass windows. We walked in the cemetery and located several American Revolution soldier's graves. There was a lot of history there.

We returned to Aunt Marian's house for supper and a nice visit.

Kentucky Horse Park

We arrived in Lexington, Ky. at the Kentucky Horse Park to find a very nice campground. Sites are large and the lighting at night is good. The roads are great for walking. Since we had been here previously, we decided to take in the Combined Driving Classic which is free. There are exhibitors from Europe, Canada and all over the U.S. We have watched several events and took quite a few pictures. We have used this time to get our RV cleaned and clothes washed as we are not sure of facilities at the next volunteer position.

Quest to find cousins

Monday, Jim loaned us his truck which we drove to Jackson, Mo looking for Jeanne's cousin, Jeanette Estes. Previously Jeanne had called her but found that the phone had been disconnected. We drove to her last known address hoping to at least talk with a neighbor who might give us some information about her. After knocking on five doors and flagging the mailman down we got a cell phone # of her daughter, Peggy. We were able to contact her and met them both for lunch. Jeanette now resides in an assisted living facility in Cape Girardeau. Jeanette was so glad to see Jeanne and likewise. We had a wonderful chat and catch up time with them. We headed back to Charleston to hook up and say our good byes. We ended up returning to Jim and Carlenes after getting diesel to pick up some clothes we left in the dryer.

We stopped by to see Wayne and Linda Wood in Hopkinsville, Ky. We had ridden horses together in previous years. They graciously let us park our trailer in their driveway over night. We got a tour of the barn, horse trailer, and met the horses, dog and cats. The horse trailer is a 3 horse with 14 ft living quarters with a slide. Really nice. Billy Ray, another horse friend, stopped by to see us before we left. Allan made sure Jeanne had not stowed away a cat before leaving. We headed out across Kentucky not sure of where we would be staying.

ARKANSAS

We drove to Jacksonport, Ar and camped at Jacksonport State Park. This is a nice state park right on the White River. Lots of room between campsites. We attended a talk on the area woodpeckers which was interesting. We helped rescue a cat that had climbed a tree. The owners had a lease on the cat, but while climbing the tree got the lease wound around different limbs.
This weekend Newport, Ar was celebrating Depot Days. We met Jim and Shirley Gatlin,friends who taught our Life Groups class at Kingwood before moving to Arkansas, for supper and attended church with them on Sunday morning. We so much enjoyed visiting with them and meeting their dog, Maggie. They gave us a tour of the town including the prison where Shirley works.
Sunday, we traveled to Missouri and visited Eugenia Bush, a dear friend of my aunt and Paul William Hill, nephew of my uncle, in Charleston. Jim and Carlene Burden (Sikeston) have graciously offered their house to us again. We had a wonderful meal at a new Italian restaurant.

SEGAR COLONY, Clinton, Ok

Sept. 24th, Wednesday, we left Amarillo and had planned to spend the night in Elk City, OK. but before we could reach our destination it was time for Jeanne to get on the Internet for a conference call class through Workampers, so we pulled off at a picnic area. This lasted for over an hour. We decided to drive on the Clinton, OK. where we set up the trailer and drove to Colony, OK.

John Segar founded this town with a band of Indians he brought from the main reservation from Ft. Reno in the 1800's following the famous Custer's last stand when the Indians were brought to Oklahoma. John Segar was Allan's great-grandfather's brother. He was a friend to the Indians and a go between the government and the Indians. John Segar helped establish a school for the Indian children and also helped get the Indians provisions until they could support themselves.

On the way back from Colony, we passed over 100 wind generators that must have been at least 80 feet tall. We have seen these generators going up all over the Midwest. We are glad to see this alternative energy being made use of. We end the day with a setting sun.

QUARTER HORSE MUSEUM, PALO DURO CANYON, Amarillo, Tx

The portions of New Mexico and the panhandle of Texas were very dry. Farmers were using irrigation in areas. We set up camp at Amarillo Ranch RV Campground. We toured the Quarter Horse Museum in Amarillo. The central hall had a huge emblem of the Quarter Horse on the wall. Another large room was full of paintings and sculptures which were for sale (very high priced, but great quality). I enjoyed looking at the different techniques the artists used. Another room was full of information about horses in general and Quarter Horses. It had very good hands on learning areas. I spent two hours seeing every aspect of the Quarter Horse, while Allan finished rather quickly and then started inspecting their air conditioning system. He was great to let me spend this time without any interuptions.

Then we drove to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. This was quite scenic. It looked like the Grand Canyon with different colors, but not as deep. We started on top and were able to drive down to the floor of the canyon where they had picnic and camping areas. I closed my eyes as we drove down the winding curves at 10% grade and no guard rails, but I encouraged Allan to keep his eyes open. There were streams we had to cross as there were no bridges. There were gauges to show the depth of the water, so apparently as some time they had flooding. There was a lot of cactus. We saw at least 20 wild turkeys in three groups.

For supper the famous Big Texas Steak House was on the agenda. This famous steak house had stuffed heads of deer, elk, moose, bear, every kind of game animal around lined the balcony and the tables upstairs had cowhide tablecloths. They had three cowboys with their instruments going around the tables serenading. There was an offer of a free steak if you could eat the whole thing. It was 72 oz. Allan declined as he was filled up on 6 oz. We got a free gigantic stawberry shortcake to go. We could have had the services of a cowboy driven limousine with long horn steer
horns on the hood.

LEAVING COLORADO, Clayton, NM

Sept. 22, 2008, Monday. We will remember this date. We had to bid farewell to Woodland Park, which we loved so much. As we were pulling out, Jeanne said while stomping her feet "I don't want to leave." We decided to change our route to Ky by going south in Colorado to New Mexico. We went through Pueblo and Trinidad, Co. over Raton pass. At the town of Raton we turned east. We left the mountains and started through the rolling prairie lands, seeing many pronghorns along the way. It started raining on us. Just as Allan said "I'm sure glad I put on new wiper blades", the drivers side wiper blade blew off the window. There was no place to pull over for five miles so Jeanne had to guide Allan down the road. He pulled over and took the wiper off the passenger side and put on the drivers side. We spent the night in Clayton, NM. As we drove in to Clayton on the west side there was a huge feed lot with hundreds of cows. We were glad the campground was on the other side of town with the wind blowing from the south. Even though the temperatures are warmer, we were able to sleep with our windows open. We were having gusts of wind up to 26 mph.
We are up early this morning with the sun shining and will be driving to Amaillo, Tx.

UPDATE FOR THE WEEK/Woodland Park, Co

Did you think we had dropped off the face of the earth? We have been cleaning and doing errands and some maintenance on the trailer this week. We returned to the Garden of the Gods to walk. It is such a nice place, not too crowded with wide side walks. It is warmer and lower in elevation than Woodland Park. We attended a soup supper at the campground. It was nice to get to know more people.
Friday it rained and started hailing while Allan ran some errands in town. The ground was white by the time it finished. It was very small in diameter so did no damage.`
Saturday, we drove through some small communities nestled into the valleys and up the sides of the mountains. They were neat. We also drove to Deckers, Co. so Allan could fly fish for the first time. He first tried it from the bank, but the foliage got his tackle. Next he got out in the middle of the river and things went much better. No fish for supper though.
Sunday, we attended an FPU class at Woodland Park Community Church and were very impressed with the enthusiasm of the class and the leaders were great. After church we drove to Eleven Mile Canyon so Allan could fish again. This didn't last too long as the wind started blowing up a storm. The scenery was pretty.

DRIVE OVER THE MOUNTAIN, Woodland Park, Co.

Saturday we decided to take a drive to Gunnison, Co. On our way we were enjoying the beautiful views. We were checking out campgrounds and areas for possible workamping locations. The higher mountains were full of snow. What a sight. We drove through Buena Vista which was having an apple festival. We stopped and had lunch at one of the many restaurants. Then we drove on to Salida along the Arkansas River and then on to Gunnison over Monarch pass. Gunnison is a larger town with a college and seemed very nice. We did not stay long as it was getting late and there was rain in the mountains. The canyon along the Arkansas River was beautiful. There were many campgrounds along this river. Fisherman must love this area. No phone service for us. This goes to the Royal Gorge. We saw the train that takes passengers through the Royal Gorge. If it wasn't so late we might have taken a ride. We had supper at Canyon City and then drove toward Colorado Springs and back to Woodland Park in the dark.



We attended the same church this Sunday. We met the leaders of FPU. They are having classes Sunday and Wednesday. After lunch we decided to take a walk and discovered four deer behind our trailer. We got some pictures. Tonight, Sunday, we took some country dance lessons in Colorado Springs.

WOLF CENTER, Woodland Park, Co.

We traveled to Divide, Co. on Wednesday, Sept. 10 to visit the Wolf and Wildlife Center. This was very interesting and we learned a lot about the fox, coyote, and wolf habits and what we are doing to their homes. Darlene Kobobel is the founder of this center. It is the only certified wild life sanctuary in Colorado. They only keep a small number of animals as their mission is to educate the public what they can do to help preserve these beautiful animals. We saw the fox group first. They are red fox, but two were white. We were told that they were genetically altered so they could sell white furs. I won't expound here on the inhumane treatment they go through. The swift fox is a much smaller animal. They get their name because they can run 25 miles per hour in spurts to catch their prey. They had several coyotes. There were timber wolves, Arctic wolves and Mexican wolves. One wolf was very friendly and came up to the fence and gave the guide several licks. We were not allowed to touch the animals for obvious reasons. If you volunteer enough, you can eventually go into the pens and feed and interact with the animals. The most exciting part of the visit was to start howling and then all the animals chimed in. What a sound. There is nothing like it. I would recommend this tour if you are in the area.

GARDEN OF THE GODS, Woodland Park, Co

Monday, we chilled literally. High temp in 50's. Our furnace was not working. Allan found a man in the park that did RV repairs. He got us fixed up. Allan is glad he didn't attempt this one. It was difficult to dismantle and put back together. We did some business by phone. The rest of the day we spent inside keeping toastie warm and computer browsing.

Today, Tuesday, Allan got up early for a pancake breakfast that the park was sponsoring. We had stayed up VERY late last night so Jeanne slept in a little. You know Allan is going where the food is. Allan met Mark who had been at the RV Dreams rally in Missouri.

Had lunch in Woodland Park and then drove to Manitou Springs to visit the Garden of the Gods. The signs pointed us to the back entrance. After we turned down the road, a sign said no RV's, motorhomes or large trucks. There was no good turn around so we continue on. We found out the reason for the sign. The road went through some rocks that were too narrow for the truck to make. Allan managed to turn around and find the alternate entrance. As we were exiting,a motor home was coming up the road. Allan stopped and talked to the man. He thought he could turn around if Allan could block the traffic coming in. All went well. We both got in the park at the correct entrance despite the signs. The scenery was beautiful. Wish we could have gotten there earlier as the clouds were coming in. Pictures are not as good without the blue sky contrast. They had trail rides in the park. Looked like that would have been a neat place to ride. There were small bridges for the horses and sidewalks for people. A very nice park we must say.

We made a stop at Wal-Mart and drove downtown Colorado Springs. Allan agreed to let me stop at the Humane Society if I promised not to bring anything home. It was a well designed facility.

Made a stop at Safeway, a really nice grocery store, before returning to the park.

When we drove in to the RV park we spotted the female fox, our first sighting. We had heard that there was a whole family of foxes. The pictures are not clear as we were moving. Later we saw two deer behind our trailer, but it was too dark to get any pictures.

Thanks for stopping by. We have reservations tomorrow at the wolf sanctuary.

RESTFUL WEEKEND Woodland Park, Co

We are so tired and decided to take some R&R. Slept in late on Saturday. Washed clothes. Since it is so cool here I decided to pull out some winter clothes for us from under the bed. While I was there, I decided I might take everything out and rearrange things. That just wasn't enough. I had not used the vacuum under the bed in a long time so I pulled a spring cleaning. Allan ran to get diesel and propane. We walked the park several times, but with much effort. The elevation here is 8400 ft. Hope we get use to this soon.

Today, Sunday, we attended Woodland Park Community Church. We enjoyed the service and found that they are teaching Financial Peace and have taught Crown Financial. We are thinking about staying here for another week.

We drove to Cripple Creek, an old mining town this afternoon. The main street was lined with old buildings of the gold rush era which have now been transformed in casinos. We could see the remains of hoist elevators above some mines. There was one gold mine that was offering tours which dropped you about 1000 ft below the ground. We declined to go on this tour because Allan and Yancy had done this in
1983 and Jeanne was not about to go down there. She had problems enough with the road we had to drive on with the shear drop always on her side. She is not interest in going up Pikes Peak. We returned and did our evening stroll of the campground.

Family reunion

This reunion we are having is actually a cousin's reunion. The cousins have not been together as a group since they were children. Our five fathers grew up on a cattle ranch outside of Sidney, Ne. Our grandfather, Milo Webster, was a pioneer that came out to Nebraska in 1887. He worked on a horse ranch, homesteaded some property and started his own ranch which later became a large agricultural farm. Today, the major crops are wheat and millet. My father and all of his brothers are passed away now. We are all here to reminisce about the old days and heritage that has been handed down to us. There were nearly 30 in attendance from all parts of the United States. We explored the old Webster family house and barns. The property was on the route of the Pony Express, the Oregon Trail and Sidney to Deadwood Trail. We went to old Fort Sidney which was an army fort to protect the early settlers from the Indians. The land in this part of the country is all flat rolling prairie with very few trees and very little rain.



We learned that the millet is sold for bird seed. And the winter wheat is planted around the first of September. It grows some and then lays dormant until spring and is harvested in the summer.

There were numerous activities planned for us including the Prairie Schooner Museum and several meals out, one of which included a covered wagon ride and cook out. The reunion began on Saturday and ended on Monday night. Tuesday we shopped at Cabelas, took care of some family business, said our last goodbyes and departed for Estes Park, Co.

We drove through a canyon and winding roads which was quite a climb. The truck pulled good and the trailer followed. We arrived Tuesday afternoon in Estes Park at the Manor RV Park. Allan's brothers, Paul and Don and Paul's wife, Mary had rented cabins at the same park. The beauty that is surrounding us is outstanding. There is a small river running along side the RV park. What a nice sound (the babbling brook). We can see snow covered mountains nearby.

Wednesday after a good nights sleep, we made breakfast for everyone at our trailer. We then took a drive through Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road. At the top we encountered snow and cold, blowing wind. The elevation was over 12,000 feet near the Continental Divide. We stopped at the Alpine Visitors Center and viewed a heard of elk grazing in the valley below us. We stopped on the way back down the mountain to get pictures of a 12 point bull elk. What a magnificent creature. They will be moving down to lower areas to winter out.

On return from the park we stopped at Safeway grocery store to purchase some bison burgers to cook out. They were delicious.

Thursday brother Don opted to tour the town of Estes Park while the rest of the group decided to take another drive in the park. We drove toward Bear Lake. We parked the car and road the shuttle bus to Bear Lake. We hiked around the lake which was almost a mile. The mountains were reflected in the lake. It was a beautiful view. We hopped on the shuttle bus for the trailhead of Alberta Falls. We hiked to the falls mostly up hill. The round trip was about 2 miles. The elevation makes it hard to breathe and you seem to lack energy. The squirrels were black and very small compared to ours. We also saw chipmunks, ground squirrels, and marmots. We stopped to photograph a herd of elk. The beauty is hard to capture in pictures. The night brought rain to us and snow in the mountains.

Friday, we packed up and said our goodbyes. We headed for Woodland Park, Co. Leaving Estes Park and heading toward Lyons, Co. we traveled downhill through a canyon. We pulled over one time to let traffic go by and had to wait there until our brakes cooled off. We caught I-25 south and drove through Denver and Colorado Springs. The traffic was pretty heavy for a week day. Fortunately we missed rush hour. From Colorado Springs to Woodland Park it was uphill. We passed Manitou Springs and the Garden of the Gods which we hoped to visit another day while we are here in the area. We are close to Pike's Peak, but do not plan to visit as we both have been there before. We are set up in Diamond Rv Park. They warned us not to leave food or grills outside because bears frequent this area. On our walk before dark, we saw three deer in the park. Since our schedule has been so busy since we left, we are planning to stay here several days to rest up before heading back east to our next job in Ky.