In the dance hall

"I sat here happier than I ever was."



George Strait in his youth

Greune Texas

The dance hall at Gruene TX where parts of the movie 'Michael' with John Travolta were filmed.

Click on:The Gruene Hall



The antique shop. Sharon and Lisa are browsing.

And now...

In 2002 there was quite a flood in this area and in some places the scars are very apparent. This is where the water overflowed the lake and created the gorge in the picture below. In 2001 the land here looked the same as on both sides of this gorge



The picture below is near the historic town of Greune TX.

Rio Valley Resort @Canyon Lake

The Guadalupe River


We know we are south when we listen to the grackles and the mockingbirds. Nice walk today in the park and along the river.

Canyon Lake Texas

We arrived yesterday about 4 PM. We left the little nameless RV park in north Texas about 8:00 am, early for us. We came across 82 to I 35. We stayed on I 35 for as little time as possible. Picked up 380 west at Denton and took it to 281 south. Not a bad route really and one we would consider again.
Terry and Lisa stopped by and we went to a pizza place for supper last night. It was very good pizza and the place would land on our keeper list.
Today is a golf day for Butch and he is excited!!
More later...with pictures

This is how it is...

We left Carthage MO this morning about nine and we went into Oklahoma...yes, really!!!... then we picked up Hwy 69 heading south and we stayed on 69 until we came to 82 in north Texas. Turned west on 82 and found a little podunk rv park in the middle of nowhere and this is where we are spending the night.
We are headed for Canyon Lake Texas to see friends from Snow Mountain Ranch. Mike and Sharon Bryce and Terry and Lisa Linder. We have an ulterior motive. Butch has a bit of trouble making connections with people who love to play golf as much as he does and he knows Mike and Terry do thus we will be spending some time in the Canyon Lake area before heading to the valley.
So here we are at 4:20 PM. Butch is washing the bugs off the front of the moho and he has the hairclippers out and set up waiting for me to finish this and cut his hair. I am cheaper than Progreso and it looks about the same. Hehehe

All Finished

Finally! The last detail has been taken care of on the motorhome. It has been a long time a coming. So our next move is up for discussion. I will tell you as soon as a decision has been made.

Mercedes

We were parked at a Chili's Restaurant in Pryor OK and saw this Mercedes with little wipers on the headlights. I fail to see the need.

More Dry Gulch USA

Marilynn, Sam and Butch looking over Lake Hudson


The depot

Click on: Dry Gulch USA

Butch and Sam discuss the Steam Engine





Read all about it at
http://www.drygulchusa.com/

Really nifty place!! See the pics

Cabin Diesel

Monday we made our way west to Big Cabin OK to have the MoHo serviced on Tuesday...and we did. And while we were there Sam & Marilynn Wilson, friends we made this summer at Snow Mountain Ranch, came to see us and escort us around the area. They live at Chouteau OK. Part of our tour included Dry Gulch USA where Sam volunteers on the Steam Engine train crews.

Quarter backs

No, this is not football-related site. This is a quiz about the backs of the new quarters.
This is harder than you would think.

http://mentalfloss.com/quiz/quiz.php?q=82

Unbelievable!!

Those who know me well are not going to believe this one. We are still in Carthage and the Maple Leaf Festival was this weekend. The parade started at nine this morning and we were told it was a biggie...3 hours long! So Butch got up early and that in itself is somewhat unbelievable because no golf was involved. At 8:15 am we headed into Carthage. All three exits off 71 hwy were full of cars trying to get to the parade route and we were one of them . We finally made our way to a parking spot on a residential street near the corner of Orner and Sycamore. I left my purse at home and took my camera and we also had a couple of lightweight lawnchairs with us. We walked six city blocks to the parade route and settled in for the parade that started in a very few minutes with the Budweiser Clydesdales. I get my camera ready and the batteries are DEAD!!!! Not just a little dead...but completely DEAD!!!
I haven't taken many pictures since we arrived in Carthage but I know it hasn't been very long since I changed batteries. At least I didn't think it had been....
It was one of the best parades I have ever seen and I missed many great shots. Darn, darn and doubledarn!!

Okay...it's like this

The part was maybe to come in Friday and it did! They called about 2:00 pm and said bring her on up and we'll finish it out. Allright!! So we took her up the hill to the service area to get her new slide out cover and the diamondshield on the new paint section of the front.
And here is what happened....the new cover is damaged so we need a different one AND they sent the wrong diamondshield piece. BIG HEAVY SIGH
So we called Big Cabin OK where we want to get it serviced...oil change etc... and made an appointment for Tuesday. We will be staying there Monday night and coming back here Tuesday after the servicing. We are determined to follow this through!
On the plus side it looks like we might be able to stick around to see friends Harold and Elaine Lindemann that we met here 4 years ago about this time of year.

Runza casserole

This is what we are having for supper. I always cut the recipe in half...easily done.
Recipe: Runza Casserole 10/18/2007
Category: Main Dish
2 lb Hamburger
2 Onion,Finely Chopped
4 c Cabbage,Shredded
Salt & Pepper,To Taste
2 Refrigerated Crescent Rolls
1 lb Mozzarella Cheese,Shredded

Note: One of my standby recipes. One that Butch is always happy to
see on the table. ]
Brown hamburger and onion, drain. Put cabbage on top of meat and let
steam for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper. Using one tube, spread
the crescent roll pieces over bottom of a 9x 13 inch pan. Spread
hamburger/cabbage mixture on top. Add layer of cheese. Using the second
tube of crescents, put pieces on top of cheese. Bake in 350 F. degree
oven for 35 to 40 minutes, covering with foil the last 10 minutes to
soften the crust

Still in Carthage

We finished our morning walk and then Butch went up to the service area to check on the progress of parts ordered. Some are in but others are not. The slide out replacement material was sent today so may be here on Friday. It gets very hard to count on that so we may be here another week. We are still sitting tight.
Yesterday we went to Monett MO to meet Julie and Dave Krauth from Massena IA for lunch. We enjoyed a buffet at a Chinese restaurant called Happy House. It was very good. Julie and Dave are workamping at a park in Cassville MO so we had stories to compare.

Butch is golfing today and I am Swedish weaving and doing laundry. I LOVE the soft water we have here at the Coachlight RV park. Showers are an added pleasure. Laundry is so much easier all the way around. Cleaning everything is sooo much nicer.
We are hooked up to the water directly of course but we are also sanitizing our fresh water tank. That is a job that needs done every now and then . We put one fourth cup of bleach in the freshwater holding tank and then we are supposed to drive around a bit and let it slosh in there. Right now the bleach is in there and we will have a couple of short trips soon to do the sloshing. Then we drain off that water and fill it some with fresh water and put some baking soda in it to neutralize the bleach. Do a drive and slosh then fill with fresh again to whatever level we desire. And that depends on what our next move will be. Sometimes we know we will be in an area where water is scarce or maybe we plan to boondock a few nights so then we would make sure we were loaded up. But if we know water will not be a problem we travel with one fourth of a tank to conserve on fuel. Life is always a balancing act, isn't it?

Map thing

Okay...if I were just beginning to post on the 'net about our adventures I would probably stick with www.mytripjournal.com but the general consensus from others is that the blog is best and no one has time to check out both. So this will be the site of choice. Thanks to all who helped with the experience.
I did like the map feature but it occurred to me that I could do that on my own. I was also hoping that only those who wanted an update notification would get it because they would need to sign up for it indicating the desire to have it. I do not want to be an unwanted intrusion in anyones inbox. I know my messages are sometimes perceived as spam because I send to so many people at once. I am now up to 4 groups that I send to. One has the maximum of 75 email addresses. The smallest group has about 15. I try to sort them out by interest or area and sometimes there is an overlap. So if you receive two notices of an update from me most likely you are on two of my lists. The sorting gets to be a bit complex at times.

So on to other things...we are waiting for parts. Heard that one before? Our door has a catch latch on it that holds it open. In Iowa the wind caught the door and broke the latch. To repair takes a whole new mechanism. Waiting for that part...then the canvas over the slide out is shot so we are waiting for that too. Then the Diamondshield guy is playing hard to get. Diamondshield is the plastic coating that goes over the front of the RV. The body work and paint job are finished and look great. In the past we have tired of waiting for this or that so we moved on with the plan to return. This time we are determined to wait it out and have it all done before we move on. There will always be small things that need attention and that is the reason we bought an extended warranty. Even if nothing more needs fixed it is cheap insurance in case the washer or dryer or even the fridge decide to go belly up.
So stay tuned for further developments and this will be the place to stay up on the latest with Butch and Barb.

Information Street

Butch and I headed out for a walk after getting our MoHo patient settled into her bay for the day. It is a busy intersection and stretch of road that we walk on. Its redeeming value is that it has wide shoulders which helps the safety factor. We were only a block from Coachlight when a trucker stopped to ask where his turn (Carthage Mill) was located. Yes, Butch could tell him and he wasn't very far from it. We then proceeded to the intersection where we read the directions to a multi-family yard sale. We were going to wait for a lady in a car but she motioned us on and then rolled down her window asking about directions to the yard sale. Since we had read the info we could tell her. Then a fellow across the intersection hollered at us asking how to get to Springfield. He had missed a turn onto I-44 off of 71 hwy. Butch also helped him with new directions! All this happened within a five minute period. He should have charged at least a quarter!!

A Day Off

Today we get a day off because the shop was overbooked for today and the paint needs to cure before they put on the diamond coat. The diamond coat is a clear plastic layer that covers the front of the motorhome. So I believe the plan is for Butch to play golf and I am going to take a walk, do 4 loads of laundry, finish up a Swedish weaving project and start another one. Maybe take a few photos or work with ones I have already taken.
I need to get the photos I have on the computer copied to CD's and clean out the computer in preparation for the upcoming season in South Texas.
Speaking of South Texas there is a new website for winter Texans. Go check it out at Welcome to the Winter Texans

Yesterday

We are on our third day in the waiting room waiting for our patient to be finished with her cosmetic surgery. She still needs some work on her legs and a few other minor issues. It is very similar to having someone in the hospital. She isn't in a bed but she is in a bay and the motorhome doctors are going over her with a fine-toothed comb. We do hope to be finished by evening. We are getting a bit tired of waiting.
We did go to Joplin shopping this morning and that helped.

Mickey's question

Since Mickey asked the question about what we do while our motorhome is being repaired I thought others might also wonder. Her question and my answer are below
From my friend Mickey
"Enjoyed reading the journal. So glad you are doing it. I so often wonder where you are and what you are doing. Like having the map, also. Where do you stay when your house is being worked on? Do they ever keep it over night? What about Angel?"
My answer:
They always get it back to us at closing time. Right now we are sitting here with only one headlight because of the preliminary work on our repair. We must get it back to them at 8:00 AM in the morning. Angel stays in it but we shut her in the bedroom. She doesn't like it!! We go shopping or sit in their lounge area. The sofa's are comfy. Coachlight RV in Carthage MO is excellent on service. We had heard that before we purchased our RV here and we have found it to be true. Our warranty expires in November so we purchased an extended warranty from them with all the confidence that they will continue to take good care of us.

Carthage MO

We made our way from Peculiar MO to Carthage MO this morning. Everything went fine but we are suffering with the hot and humid weather. We have an excellent WiFi connection here if it holds up. Last spring when we were here they were 'waiting for a part'. Apparently the part got here.

When we went in to pay our rent a lady was bemoaning the fact that they were having to turn people away. Next weekend is Carthage MO's Fall Leaf Festival and it was made clear that they most likely would not have room for us...hmmm...hope they have our work done by then.

The leaves have not started to turn yet and they only have a week to be in their prime color change? May not happen.

Till next time...

Pumpkin Soup

Sounded very good to me!

Recipe: PUMPKIN SOUP 10/5/2007
INGREDIENTS:
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 pound of bacon, chopped
One 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 cup water
2 cups apple cider
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 cubes chicken bouillon
1 apple, chopped
salt, to taste
2 teaspoons white pepper
1/3 cup crystallized ginger, chopped


DIRECTIONS:
Saute lightly onion and bacon in large pot. Add pumpkin, water, apple
cider, brown sugar, chicken bouillon, apple, salt, white pepper, and
crystallized ginger to the pot. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Stir
frequently. Blend to thicken in blender-size batches. Serve with a
dollop of sour cream.

Max & Peggy's Albums

Below is a message and a link to Max and Peggy's Snow Mountain Ranch ( and others) pictures. Max and Peggy are very active volunteers at Snow Mountain Ranch.
Also when you click on the link you see all the album covers. When you want to view the entire album click on the appropriate cover. They are worth the trip!!
Barb

All,

Here is the location of the pictures Peggy and I (and a few others :-) took this past summer at SMR. I was very lax this summer and did not get very many email addresses. So, if you see someone you know, ask them if they received this email. If they would like to see them, please give them this address to see the pictures or forward this email to them.

http://picasaweb.google.com/max.pitzer

Thank you all, I really enjoyed the summer.

Max

Gary the Pizza Maker

Gary made pizza for supper last night. Yummy

Peculiar posting

Yippee! Skippee! We are in the Peculiar RV Park and will be for the next week and we have a workable WiFi connection here. Always cause for celebration.
Tonight Gary and Susan picked us up and we went to the newlyweds Amanda and Brad's place where they cooked us supper. A very good supper.
Have a good one....

Lake Anita

At Lake Anita State Park. -We have taken care of many details while here and still have at least two more to do today. I am waiting for a call to pick up my new glasses and we have to pick up a meat order at Fareway.
Butch's test came out as expected and he doesn't need another for a year.
He has been able to get a few rounds of golf in with Randy and Bill G.
We have been to eat in all our favorite places in the area far too many times!
We have resumed our daily walk habit.
Till next time...

Coca Cola Days in Atlantic IA

Sherri and Hannah

Look! It says Coca Cola!




2007



For all of the kiddie parade pictures go to the Webshots link on the right side of this page

Amanda & Brad

Amanda and Brad's wedding pictures are on this site. Click HERE.

Double Ugly

Butch found this very ugly, very stinky mushroom in the grass at the Trailrider RV Park in Yale Iowa.
He placed it on the picnic table so I could get a shot of it. He finally had to dispose of it because the smell was so atrocious!
It smelled like very old urine.

We are now at Lake Anita State Park in site #104. Yesterday we went to Atlantic where Butch got a blood draw for his latest PSA test. We will know the result next Thursday but expect it to be zero. Then we both had eye exams and I will be getting new lenses as my vision had decreased. Otherwise we came through that little test unscathed. Then we went to our favorite Chinese restaurant in Atlantic. The China Hut is owned by a chinese family and the quality of the food exceeds others I have been to. Tonight we plan to visit one of the better "up North" Mexican restaurants.
Lots of stuff to catch up on!! Some things just have to wait till you are in the right area.
Till next time...

From Sharon at Snow Mountain Ranch

Hey guys,

What are you doing? Our little trailer is lonely up on this hill. Howard is still here but will leave on Sunday and then it will be Don and Shirley and then they leave next week and then Mike and I until the 1st. It's awesome here right now. Leaves on the aspens are gorgeous, the elk bugling is fun to hear and see and it's COLD!!!! Got down in the 20's a couple of times, snow up on the peaks yesterday and still up on Trail Ridge today. Most of the time it's in the 30's at night and 60's during the day. Mike and I played Grand Lake and Grand Elk and now we'll play Grand Lake again this week. Man Butch, I wish you were here to play with him so I didn't have to!!!! When we went to Grand Lake we had to play with two other men and I for sure didn't like that one bit!!!!

Some guy that was camping here last week shot a 12 point elk with a bow. He's been coming for five years and this is the first time he got one but I didn't like it. He blew a whistle that sounded like a cow calling and he said that bull came charging out of the woods. Poor fellow, just thought he found him a girlfriend and they killed him. You can tell I'm not a hunter!!!!

Well, just wanted to say hello and that we miss you guys! Hope you're having a good time!

L,

Sharon and Mike

It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag. "

-- Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, Chaplin, USMC

LeGrand IA building

This building was spotted from hwy 30 at LeGrand IA

Brookers All

Bill & Jo Brooker

Getting Photographed


Don, Marlene, Bill, Leo and Butch

Sandra and Andrew Greco

The Cake

Sandra & Andrew

Photographers at work


Click on any of the pictures for a larger picture and a better look. Do so with this one.
So much fun!!