These three women each drive their own motorhome and have traveled together full time for the past seven years. Starting from the left their names are Lee, Flip and Phyllis. They are in Carthage for a time because Lee's daughter bought a place near here and they came to help her get it livable. They have not planned their next move but I am sure this adventurous threesome will come up with something new and exciting.

I am easily entertained...this program I use to post pictures on the blog also lets me send a picture of my computer screen so I am showing you my current computer wallpaper.

I have an appreciation for beautiful trees.

A gaggle of geese with goslings...say that three times fast!

A new friend I met on my walk today. I assume it is a green snake? Sure was a vivid green!

This has been our view a good deal of the time last few days.

Good friend Shirley Franey took this picture of Butch and I last winter

Yesterday we had a very dark wet day pretty much all day. I managed to get a walk in on Thursday but missed it yesterday entirely. This morning we had a window of sunshine and Butch went with me for our walk. He kept wanting to cut it short. I said we could've really cut it short and stayed home!! It always feels good to get that walk done for the day. Clouds are once again rolling in so outdoor activity is likely done for this Saturday.

I'm a Porsche 911!

You have a classic style, but you're up-to-date with the latest technology. You're ambitious, competitive, and you love to win. Performance, precision, and prestige - you're one of the elite,and you know it.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Drug Interactions

Here is a great website where you can list all the meds you are taking (even OTC drugs) & get a report on whether or not any of them interact badly with each other.
http://www.walmart.com/pharmacy/drug_search.jsp?adid

Computin'

We are still in Carthage Missouri, waiting for parts. We are paid up for another week so we are taking care of a myriad of little tasks. Feels rather good to get things caught up and taken care of. The parts we are waiting for are a new automatic sensor for the awning, a new leveling jack to replace one that leaked a little and a new radio because the other one would only play about 6 tracks on a CD before giving us an error message. I have been getting inquiries as to what we are doing and where we are so figured I best do some catching up with the blog. It is GREAT to hear from those of you who wonder about us and fill me in on your activities.

Current Swedish Weaving Project

Red Monks Cloth-Southwest Memory Pattern using Turquoise, Black and white Yarn

Vern and Dorothy Wendt, full timing friends we met at Magnolia Park a few years ago, were here for a couple of days getting some things fixed on their Kountry Star. We went out to eat at Dowds Catfish House in Joplin last night. It was very pleasant having the time to visit with friends.

Pull Tab Belts

I have been going for a three plus mile walk every day but the rain and cold the last few days has put the kabosh to that. While I am walking I pick up cans to get the pulltabs. I suffer guilt from not picking up the whole can but I could not carry all I find. You would think someone would be picking them up since aluminum is selling for seventy cents a pound now but no one seems to do it. I have only had one mild dog incident and my spray bottle of ammonia sufficiently discouraged the “puppies”.

Reading a book...always

I have finished one book “Songs My Father Taught Me” by Marcia Rose and started another two, Up Island and Low Country by Anne Rivers Siddon.

Clean ceiling fan

Butch has been taking care of many little maintenance type chores as well and we have purchased a drawer for one of the bins in the basement to make it easier to get at stored items. It will be a bigger project to get it installed but I am sure he is up for it. He may wait till he gets to Gary's so he has help. He says I am not the kind of help he wants and he is right. I am not good at standing there like a faithful puppy listening to him cuss. I would rather be busy doing my own projects.

It is a done deal!!

This afghan was finished last weekend.

What have I been doing lately? I have been finishing unfinished projects. This shawl was finished this weekend.

Ray Thompson from Atlantic IA sent this picture of tulips in their yard. They sure POP!

Fellow Full-timers Velma, John, Tobee and Vanna

A country view

Most of the mommas did not think I had any business taking photos of their youngsters

A country view

There are two possums in this photo. Look in the center.

I love road pictures and this happens to be on our current 3 3/4 mile loop walk.

This email sent to me by Sherri C. intrigued me so I am sharing it here. I would love to see something like this for other states too.
Iowa Facts and Trivia
Ripley's Believe It or Not has dubbed Burlington's Snake Alley the most crooked street in the world.
Strawberry Point is the home of the world's largest strawberry.
The state's smallest city park is situated in the middle of the road in Hiteman. Scranton is home to Iowa's oldest water tower still in service.
Dubuque is the state's oldest city.
Crystal Lake is home to a statue of the world's largest bullhead fish.
Rathbun Dam and Reservoir is the largest body of water in the state.
Spirit Lake is the largest glacier-made lake in the state.
West Okoboji is the deepest natural lake in the state. Its depth is 136 feet.
Imes Bridge is the oldest of Madison County's six bridges.
Iowa's longest and highest bridge crosses Lake Red Rock.
Elk Horn in the largest Danish settlement in the United States.
At 16 miles, East Okoboji is the longest natural lake in the state.
Kalona is the largest Amish community west of the Mississippi River.
The state's lowest elevation point (at 480 feet) is in Lee County.
The Holliwell Bridge is the longest bridge in Madison County.
Francis Drake was 66 years old at his inauguration and Iowa's oldest governor. Iowa's oldest continually running theater is in Story City.
The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art houses the largest collection of Grant Wood artwork.
Fenlon Place Elevator in Dubuque is the world's steepest and shortest railway. Wright County has the highest percentage of grade-A topsoil in the nation. Quaker Oats, in Cedar Rapids, is the largest cereal company in the world.
The Saint Francis Xavier Basilica in Dyersville is the only basilica in the United States situated outside a major metropolitan area.
Clarion is the only county seat in the exact center of the county.
Dubuque is home to the only county courthouse with a gold dome.
Cornell College is the only school in the nation to have its entire campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Sergeant Floyd Monument in Sioux City honors the only man to die during the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Maynard Reece is the only artist to win the Federal Duck Stamp competition five times.
A bronze life-sized sculpture of a Norwegian immigrant family (circa 1860) is located on a six acre restored prairie site located at the east entry to Lake Mills on Highway 105.
Iowa's only operating antique carousel is located in the city of Story City. Knoxville's National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum is the only museum in the country dedicated to preserving the history of sprint car racing.
Iowa's only fire tower is situated in Yellow River State Forest.
Sabula is Iowa's only town on an island.
Herbert Hoover, a West Branch native, was the 31st president of the United States and the first one born west of the Mississippi.
Mamie Doud Eisenhower's birthplace is located in Boone and includes a restored frame house, complete with summer kitchen and original furniture from the family.
Van Meter is the hometown of baseball's Bob Feller, an Iowa farm boy who went on to greatness with the Cleveland Indians during the Golden Age of baseball.
Born Donnabelle Mullenger in Denison, Oscar Award-winning actress, Donna Reed, started her career at the young age of 16.
Born Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, John Wayne was the son of a pharmacist and grew up to become one of Hollywood's most popular movie stars. The famous actor was born on May 26, 1907.
Meredith Willson, who played with the famous John Philip Sousa and the New York Philharmonic before launching his career as a famous composer and lyricist, is a Mason City native.
Glenn Miller, noted trombonist and orchestra leader, was born in Clarinda located in Southwest Iowa.
The town of Fort Atkinson was the site of the only fort ever built by the U.S government to protect one Indian tribe from another.
Campers and motor homes are manufactured in Winnebago County. They're called Winnebago's.
Iowa is the only state whose east and west borders are 100% formed by water. Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
The highest double track railroad bridge in the world, the Kate Shelley Bridge, is located at Boone.
Iowa is the only state name that starts with two vowels.
Iowa State University is the oldest land grant college in the U.S.A.
Decorah hosts Nordic Fest a three-day celebration of Decorah's Scandinavian heritage.
The National Balloon Museum in Indianola chronicles more than 200 years of ballooning history.
Sheldon High School Summer Theatre, the only high school repertory in Iowa and one of just a few in the nation presents a different play for each week in June and July.

This was the view from our slideout window on the last morning we spent in Palacios TX

Dogwood in bloom

This iris was blooming in a roadside ditch. At some point a farm wife probably transplanted these from a neighbor and now the house is gone but the iris live on.

We are back in the Midwest and we did not miss Spring! It is everywhere we look including big clouds of green pollen all over the car and motorhome. It IS nice to enjoy the best of the sounds, sights and colors of the season. The lilacs, plum, dogwood, redbuds and iris are all blooming.

Carthage MO

We arrived in Carthage Missouri at the Coachlight RV Park last night about 5:30. We will be here two weeks before moving on up the road to Peculiar MO.
The trip up went smoothly for the most part with a couple of glitches. First off the GPS system has disappointed me a time or two. The route it chooses is always through the center of town and we do not want to do that. There must be a setting somewhere I need to change but I have yet to find it. And then... in Muskogee OK we were following a semi through a construction zone with the construction stuff right up to the center of the highway. The semi went off the road a little to avoid the construction stuff and created a dust cloud. Our mirror hit a a metal banner/flag extending from the construction equipment. We thought for sure it was a goner but when we stopped for fuel and after a bit of adjustment it is fine. But then...when we arrived at Coachlight we discovered we had been crapped on!!! Somewhere along the line a cow in a cattle truck decided to let loose on our car! All in all the trip went fine.
It is great to have a WiFi connection and be able to use my own computer. I had set Butch's up for him so for me to do my things on it took some manuevering.
Angel must feel comfortable here because she wants out to wander. When she is not comfortable in an area she doesn't even ask. I took her out on her leash when we arrived and we went for a short walk. We have to be somewhere quite a while before I trust her enough to stay close to home and let her out on her own. 

Some cuties

 

Best Place to Eat

I sent these pictures to my sister Myrla who loves seafood to drive her nuts with envy. Unfortunately she is in the hospital following a surgery and is on morphine and doesn't much care at this point what I am eating. Her surgery went well and she is on the road to recovery and she tells me she will now be a much nicer person...that is an inside joke. We again ate at the above restaurant and some of you will not believe it for sure but Butch ordered,ate and enjoyed catfish! It was the best I've ever tasted and I would most definitely encourage a stop at this restaurant in Palacios Texas.
 

Trehernes On the Wings of a Dove

Dove, a mini newborn horse.

Trehernes On the Wings of a Dove

The place we are staying in Palacios Texas


 

Palacios TX

We are in Palacios TX and I am loving it! Went for a 3 mile walk along the seawall this morning...the knee is better...took lots of pictures. All the restaurants have excellent seafood. Butch doesn't care but I do. He is off playing golf this morning and I am doing laundry.
The WiFi here is secured and most of you know what I think of that...not much is the answer for the rest of you...and so we can connect with no problem on Butch's computer but mine shows a good connection but will not let me navigate. Hate when that happens...but as usual I have found a way around it. It will be much better when we get to Carthage.
We have been watching the weather up north and it doesn't seem warm enough to us so we may slow our process in moving north. We have an appointment in Carthage on the 25th so that will happen and we hope it has stabalized and warmed up some by then.
Till next time...