New glasses

We went to San Antonio this morning to pick up by new glasses. I have been developing cataracts, and my eyes have been changing significantly, and so I needed new glasses. Boy, could I tell the difference when I put on the new glasses. However, the brain quickly compensates, and soon it seemed like nothing was different. It sure helps to be able to read road signs before you need them. Now I have to check out reading and see if the book can be put at a more comfortable distance instead of perched on my chest almost up to my chin.

Thursday Foxy has her eyes checked, and then we will get her new glasses if she needs them. It is much cooler and windy here today. Jackets are in order. Happy travels.

Facebook

Facebook, here we come. Foxy and I have signed up on Facebook, although I am not exactly sure why. It is nice to network with others, but my skills are limited and need help. Foxy helped this ol' guy complete the task. Now to see who might respond to the Facebook thing. I would be quite surprised if anyone in my high school graduating class responded since I have not seen or talked to most in 50 years. We did visit with Winogene last year and Jackie, but they are the only two.

Foxy is having fun completing surveys and that is good. She learned that she acts like she is 32 years old. Not bad acting half your age. No wonder I love her. Happy travels.

A good-bye dinner

Gordon and Dianna are leaving on Wednesday after being work campers for about a year and a half at Guadalupe RV Park. With all of the personnel changes in the park, they are glad to be leaving and look forward to several months without working. We were going to throw a party at Ron and Julie's camper, but they had to return to Minnesota to help take care of her mom after surgery. So we hosted the party.

We expected nine friends and eight arrived, as Clayton was not feeling well. Gloria left him to recuperate and came anyway as did Byron, and Dave and Lois. We grilled steaks and had potatoes, salad, and dessert. We had a great time but missed Ron and Julie. Talking went non- stop throughout the evening, and all too soon all had to return home. What wonderful friends we have made in our time in Kerrville. Thanks to the benefits of email we also manage to keep in touch regardless of where we might land next. The work campers world is full of people who you meet and work with for varying periods of time and then move on to another interesting place in which you might again work. What a great way to really visit this wonderful country. Happy travels and keep in touch.

Susie and her Target Ad

We are watching lots of Christmas movies, and of course they have lots of ads. Target has one that makes me laugh and think of Susie, my wonderful sister-in-law. Susie has this crazy streak and does things that are delightful. In the ad there is a blond woman at Target who is opening Christmas cards that will take a recording of your voice. The lady sings in each card, and gradually you can hear her voices in the background, and the cards seem to join together like they are a chorus. Susie, it was masterful and one of the best of your unexpected, ongoing, thumbing your nose at life gestures. We love ya! Keep on spicing up our lives! Happy travels

Black Friday

My good buddy Byron convinced Ron and me that we needed to go shopping on Black Friday. He thought we needed to go to Home Depot, Lowe's, Tractor Supply, and Office Max. The lure was breakfast at the end of the expedition. Max decided at 3:30 am that he needed to go outside and let me know of his needs. I took care of Max and tried to get back to sleep but with little success, and so I was ready to meet the boys at the front of Home Depot by shortly before 5 am. Neither was there, and it briefly crossed my mind that I had been played for a sucker. So I called Ron and learned that he was on his way, and then Byron said, "Hi" as he rushed past me looking for bargains. Ron got there very soon, and we began looking. I really did not have anything in mind except maybe a lithium battery-powered drill. I just thought it might be fun to have a boy's breakfast out.

Byron scurried here and there looking for bargains and suggesting all the time that we needed this or that and what a deal this was and other encouraging suggestions. I wondered if he secretly worked for the store. The store personnel were quite helpful frequently asking, "Are you OK?" I began to wonder if getting up so early made me look bad, and then decided they were just trying to help. Several items were tossed into our cart and later removed as we found better bargains. I did find a drill that met my criteria and some presents for grandsons.

On to Lowe's, which was not nearly as well organized as Home Depot, with few good bargains to be had. Then to Tractor Supply where Ron was looking for a winter jacket and found what he had in mind, but the checkout line was so long he put it back. By now we were ready for breakfast, and Denny's beckoned us three intrepid shoppers.

Breakfast was a chance to get away from the crazed shoppers and decompress a bit. Then onward to Office Max, where I decided I had enough of all of this shopping and headed home to Foxy, Max, and our warm coach. I was exhausted and secretly have decided not to get talked into Black Friday shopping again. Happy travels.

P.S. Boy, do I need a nap!

About that Harry Potter movie

We did view the latest Harry Potter movie yesterday at mid-day. We thought it would be rather dark in tone, and it proved to be so. The earlier movies are appropriate for young people, but this one might produce nightmares for them. I could not decide what age would be appropriate to let young people view the movie. Foxy does not like snakes, and they were in several scenes, and I held her hand throughout these parts. This movie sets you up for the last one, which supposedly will arrive next summer. Then the series will be complete. I continue to encourage you to read the entire series if you have not done so since it is so well-written. I am ready to revisit the books again and also to have a Harry Potter movie weekend very soon as well. Happy travels.

Thamksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving, and I hope that each of you has a wonderful day with family and friends sharing in the bounty of the season. Hopefully we each give thanks each day, but today I will single out my family and friends, good health, the chance to travel, and deep appreciation for the many blessings bestowed from God. Eat heartily today but wisely. Have you helped those less fortunate to do the same? Happy travels.

Harry Potter redux

The latest Harry Potter film is in the theaters, and we plan to go to see it this afternoon. These films have closely followed the author's intent and, while not able to capture everything in the book, do an excellent job. We look forward to the latest film and shall let you know how much we enjoyed it. Happy travels.

P.S. If you have not read any of the Harry Potter books or watched any of the movies, I encourage you to do so. J. K. Rowling is a superb student of the English language, and the books are uncommonly well-written. The movies follow the author's intent as well and are quite enjoyable. The monumental strife of good versus evil is always instructive. Go forth and read!

Books

I have recently finished reading President George W. Bush's new book, Decision Points, and am nearly through with Karl Rove's book, Courage and Consequence. It was instructive to read them in tandem since they cover much of the same material but from the different perspective of each author. I was left with the feeling of great respect for both men and perhaps amazement that the media and other liberals got so many of the events wrong because of the blinders they seem to wear when coming up against a conservative point of view. Labels due a disservice to everyone.

Imagine yourself in either man's shoes and having to deal with 9/11 or any of the many crises that arose on their watch. It is instructive to see both men take responsibility for failures as well as success. This only happens when the man knows himself through and through and has well-defined goals and principles. This made for excellent reading, and I highly recommend both books regardless of your political preferences. Happy travels.

Lists

We make lists. They seem to help us complete a bunch of tasks and not forget too much. We wrote down stuff to get done before we head north to NY in a week or ten days. Of course it never quite works out the way you plan it. I took the car in for an oil change, and they discovered that I also needed an air filter and flushing of some other part. A simple oil change segued into an hour and a half wait and a significant expense, but it will help us not to have car problems when we are traveling.

I went for a blood test, and our doctor no longer has that ability in his office complex so I had to find a new place where it could be done. We went to Verizon to discuss our phones and found out that maybe they had mischarged us, to later learn that it only meant a few dollars off the bill. I guess that each bit helps. I wanted to get Max groomed but got no answer and so gave him a bath myself, which he needed. Today it is haircuts for each of us. And so it goes.

Sunday was old home day at church as we were warmly greeted back by many friends. It is so nice to have such a warm, welcoming church home. Finally friends came for dinner on Sunday, and we were able to have a good time visiting and catching up too. While I may not have been blogging for a few days, it has been nice to get settled in if only for a few weeks. Happy travels.

Cleaning the coach, eye appointment

Yesterday was a cleaning day, not that the coach needed it after being on the road for two months. The floor got scrubbed as did most of the rest of the coach inside and out. There was much grime to get rid of, and so we worked at this task. At the end we ourselves got the same treatment. Once the laundry is clean today, we can almost sparkle. Can you see me sparkling? Now Foxy is another matter as she sparkles all the time.

The eye appointment was the next order of business for the day. I have trouble reading signs when traveling, and the glare bothers me with night time driving as well. It had been nearly two years since the last visit, and so I was glad to go this time. I got the whole routine including the drops to dilate the iris, and Foxy was good to wait for me since I should not be driving afterwards. I will do the same for her when she has her appointment in a couple of weeks. The results were new glasses for another year and then probably cataracts surgery. The lens are getting cloudy but not quite ready or meet Medicare guidelines quite yet. It think it is amazing what can be done medically these days. New lens to see and hearing aids to hear, and if I could get a brain to think and other parts to function, I might be young again. Unlikely!!!! Happy travels.

The time has flown

I looked back in the blog to research how long we have been on the road this time, and it is over two months. We had wonderful adventures along the way and met new people and good friends. I never cease to be amazed by how quickly you can continue a conversation with friends you have known over the years. Somehow you just pick up and continue the thread that connects you. This is also true with family as well, and we managed to see some of them several times both going and coming.

We think that we will be heading north to New York State to see my brothers, their families and our mom. We have no time line here but will let events unfold as they may. I expect to help mom celebrate her 98th birthday in December. Quite a milestone she has achieved! Happy travels.

A carrot a day keeps the....

We arrived back in Kerrville about noon yesterday and quickly set up the motor home in Rio Robles RV Park which is on the Guadalupe River almost in the center of town. Byron had arrived about two months ago, and Julie and Ron got here a day ahead from their travels in the Southwest of our beautiful country. They are staying in the Guadalupe River RV Resort where we used to work.

Once we were hooked up and our rent paid, we headed out to see our buddies. We also hoped to see other good friends in their park, as well. We managed to visit with Gloria in the office and Ron and Paula. Ron and Paula are working hard on their exercise/diet program, and the results are wonderful to behold. Keep up all of your hard work.

We visited with Ron and Julie and soon were joined by Byron. Talk flowed non-stop, and we decided to get together for a drink and then go across the street to a new cafe that has only been open for a month. Byron assured us that the food was wonderful, and he proved to be right. Not only was the food good, but the prices were very low and dinner could be had for less than twenty dollars. We recognized the waitress, as she had also worked in the salad restaurant downtown as well.

Now about carrots. Somehow they kept coming up in our conversations as references to male parts. I will let your imagination go to work on why a carrot a day keeps the............................ Happy travels.

Ft. Stockton

We left Albuquerque with lots of hugs and having had much fun playing cards and just visiting. Foxy had lots of back problems and tried almost everything she knows to get some relief. Consequently we did not get to see friends but did visit with several family members and spend a good birthday with son Scott who is now 46.

The kids and grands left for work or school, and we followed shortly after hooking up the car to the motor home. We stopped briefly in Moriarity for gas and then headed west to Cline's Corners before turning south. The wind blew all day, but most of the time it was at our back, which helped. We drove over several tumbleweeds that were trying to cross the road. Why does the tumbleweed cross the road? To get to the other side, of course. The last one I ran over was so big that it decided to drag along, and I had to stop and get it out from under the coach. We made such good time that we decided to not stop for the night in Carlsbad as we had planned. So now we have stopped for the night at Ft. Stockton, which is in Texas, and only face a short 250 mile drive tomorrow. Then back to Kerrville for a few weeks. Happy travels.

Albuquerque

After leaving the San Francisco area we were three days on the road traveling to Barstow to pick up I-40, then to Flagstaff and the following day, Albuquerque. We were happy to visit here again as two of our boys had birthdays. We were a bit late for Jerry's but right on time for Scott's. We have seen some of our family, but that has been all we have tried to do since Foxy's back has been giving her fits.

We leave here Monday morning for Kerrville for doctor's appointments and other medical needs and then will head for New York State to see my two brothers and our mother. We are hoping for good traveling weather in December, but you never know what to expect. We also hope to see Kim and Chuck and family in Ann Arbor before returning south for the rest of the winter. Happy travels.

Pictures of California and San Francisco, Fall, 2010

These are the pictures we took of our travels through California (down I-5) and in San Francisco. Click on the picture to see the whole slide show. Enjoy!

Traveling onward

We awoke to a gentle rain, and today was a travel day. So being good troopers, we hooked up in the rain hoping that not too much water had collected on the slides. We headed east to Sacramento and then onward to Barstow in a RV campground that was pitiful at best, although everyone there was very helpful. It really was a dump, but the price was right and big surprise, we left there very early. Fortunately it had quit raining, and even so we headed east and ended up in Flagstaff with a freeze advisory in place for tonight. It is supposed to get down in the twenties, and maybe we will awaken to ice or snow.

On a happy note we went to Black Bart's for dinner which is located in the RV park where we are parked for the night. We have been there many times as this is a good stopping point when coming either way from California or New Mexico. The cool thing about Bart's is that all of the personnel sing throughout dinner time. Most of the folks are music majors at Northern Arizona University, and this gives them an opportunity to sing in front of an audience nightly. What a lovely evening, and the talent was excellent. The food was very good too. Happy travels.

One more visit to San Francisco

Foxy did a wonderful job detailing this second visit to the city and I suggest you link to her blog and give it a read. I will take the day off. Happy travels.

San Francisco - second tries

After cleaning up from our towel disaster we hopped in the car and drove about 40 miles west to a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Station. Of course this took two tries, and finally a good postman helped us find the station. Tickets were purchased on the second try. The darn machine refused a twenty dollar bill, so we whipped out a credit card and quickly got two round trip tickets. A short wait and we were off, and I did not have to drive. Yeah!! A few stops later and a quick trip under the bay, and we arrived at the Embarcadero station and embarked, of course. We arrived back up at street level and tried to figure out where the heck we were. Maps were not much help, so Foxy finally got out her phone which tells you where you are and provides maps of the immediate area. So clever, and if you have Altzeimers you might not know who you are, but at least where you are lost.

We had decided to go to Fisherman's Wharf for a look around and maybe find a good place to get fresh seafood. Walking the total way was out of the question as Foxy's back prevents her from walking very far. So, being ever inventive, we rode in a rickshaw type contraption peddled by a young man. He was very friendly and talked the whole way, but since I can't hear very well, I missed most of what he had to say. He delivered us right to the door of Aliotos Restaurant right on the pier. We didn't even check the menu displayed by their front entrance, we just walked in and onward upstairs where the hostess got us right to a table.

If you ever watched the television show Golden Girls, you will recognize this next part. Sophia was a character (she played Dorothy's mother on the show), and frequently she would start a story by saying,"Picture this....." So, "Picture this.... We are sitting at a table with a huge window looking out at fishing boats, to the left is Fisherman's Wharf and other restaurants, and in the distance is the lovely Golden Gate Bridge, all lit up since it is nearly sundown." What a setting and wonderful food, as well. Foxy had Cioppino, and I had a fried selection of oysters, shrimp and calamari. Mrs. Alioto had invented the Cioppino dish years ago, and it was wonderful.

We walked out of the restaurant filled by a wonderful dinner and having had a million dollar view the whole time. We finally found a bus (which took us the long was around through Chinatown to the downtown area by Union Square) to take us back to a BART station for the ride home.

We carefully checked our BART schedule and after making a necessary transfer, were headed east. We got off the train and could not find our car. A BART policeman tried to help, and gradually we learned that we had gotten off one station too late with a similoar name and had to go back to the previous one. Everyone seemed to feel sorry for us, and this part of the trip was FREE.

Finally we found our car (our final second try), and we quickly drove the forty miles back to our motor coach and one very cross legged dog who had to go NOW. We got to San Francisco and who knows, we may try it again today. Happy travels.

San Francisco here we come

We left Redding about eight in the morning and before noon had arrived at our next campground, which was about 50 miles east of San Francisco. We planned to get set up and then head into the city. I forgot that I had neatly folded up three large towels and stacked them on the top of one of our slides to absorb and water left there by the many rain storms we received while in Friday Harbor. Why would this matter you might say? When putting out this slide the towels got wedged into the opening, and the slide came to a stop and would not go either in or out. What to do?

We could not pull the towels either in or out and finally decided to tear small strips off in hopes that they would gradually come out and we could get the slide moving again. Three hours later we finally pulled the last pieces of the three towels out and were done. We had used four scissors, a saw, two wrenches, cloth cutting blade, several razor blades and lots of elbow grease. Was it too late for San Francisco? Of course not! Happy travels.

Beautiful countryside

The first night on this road trip we stopped about 22 miles north of the Oregon border. The park we located was manicured and beautifully kept up and located nest to a river. I did wonder what might happen in the spring if this particular river flooded as the park was only about ten feet higher than the water.

On the road early the next morning and soon we were in Portland rush hour traffic but although slow going, never seemed to stop. Soon we left this lovely city behind and headed south on I 5. This seems to be great farming country and we were still enjoying a late fall set of colorful trees mixed in with evergreens. Gradually we climbed from nearly sea level to several passes in the 2000 foot range. After about 300 miles of beautiful Oregon scenery we crossed into California with Mount Shasta dominating the scenery for many miles. I was glad to see this part of the trip come to an end as the road twists and turns and climbs up and down and I was very tired by the time we decided to stop for the night just north of Redding. A delightful lady in the campground office wanted to know if our rig was really 48 feet long, just kidding of course. Happy travels.

We leave Friday Harbor today

Today we finished packing up and turned the coach around in the drive and worked to get it out the drive onto the road. Arthur helped direct the process and actually leaned on his fence so that we could work our way out. It was a tight fit, but we made it.

We were sorry to leave this lovely island and our good buddy Arthur, but we had been there for a month or more, and it was time to head out. This part of our travels will be southward into Oregon and California stopping in San Francisco before heading east toward Albuquerque and then on to home base in Kerrville.

Once out of Arthur's drive we headed to the ferry for the trip back to the mainland, disembarking at Anacortes. We then drove south on I-5 driving through Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, and stopping about 20 miles north of the Oregon border. Tomorrow, if all goes as planned, we will get to Redding, California. Traffic in the stretch of Seattle through Tacoma was hectic and slow in spots, but we made it through. I really do not like driving in heavy traffic with the coach, but with our late start from Friday Harbor made that Seattle stretch better when we hit it about two in the afternoon. At least we avoided rush hour traffic. I was glad to stop for the night and relax and have a shower. This country is so beautiful. We went near by three volcanoes today - Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, and Mount St. Helens. I would not like to be in the area when any of them explode again. They were all snow-covered today, but just beautiful in a terrible way. Happy travels.

Beach combing

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, and we decided to go to several of the beaches on the island and look around. Grand daughter Keilah has asked us several times whether we had been to look for beach glass, and so we decided to do so. We went to South Beach and two or three others and actually found a few pieces of beach glass. Keilah will be so proud. Several years ago when we were in Friday Harbor, Kristy brought her brood up, and they spent some time looking for glass and loved it. We sent them home with a small bag full. I wonder if they still have it. Keilah must have remembered doing this and hoped we had done it again.

At one of the beaches a group of people came along and they had a very cute Scotty dog. When asked the name his master said Duffy or MacDuff. Robert, this is another pet with the name Duffy. Maybe it is more common than we know. He was a very cute dog though, and I wanted to take him home to play with Max, but one dog in a motor home is plenty. Happy travels.

Poker

I a not a good poker player. I have not played in many years since I was shortly out of graduate school. Part of my problem is that I am no good at the game, especially if playing with serious players. The other problem is that I do not like to lose money. It is not that I am tight. I just can't see the fun in the gambling. When Foxy and I go to Las Vegas or one of the Indian casinos, we generally give each other a set amount of money, like twenty dollars each, and when it is gone, which seems to happen quickly to me, we quit and just wander about watching others play. Frequently I say to Foxy, "I could just as easily take a twenty dollar bill and hand it to the first person I meet in the casino and be done with it."

Arthur belongs to a poker group which meets about once each month. He invited me to join in and play about three weeks ago. I decided to try, once again to put aside my misgivings and enjoy the evening. We each gave the banker twenty dollars and started to play. The other players kept this novice informed on the workings of each game and tried to help me along. About an hour before the evening was finished, my money was gone, and I watched the action for the rest of the evening.

Last night the poker group met again, and I decided to practice poker on line and see if I could learn some strategies that might improve not only my game but also my attitude. I practiced for several hours over several days in preparation. The evening arrived all too quickly. I bought my twenty dollars of chips, and the play began. My practice sessions seemed to be helping, and I actually won a hand or two as the evening progressed. In one game, called 7 - 27, some of the players work to get close to 7 and the others try to get close to 27. I actually ended up gettng the cards that allowed me to have both a 7 and a 27. That was quite fun. I was able to play the entire evening and ended up with some chips which I could cash in at the end for about eight dollars.

So my poker lessons have cost me thirty-two dollars total over the two nights. This was a small fee to be able to meet some very nice men, and I enjoyed both evenings thoroughly. I do not think that I will ever be much of a poker player, but my attitude has improved. Happy travels.

Everyone needs a pig

Last weekend we were having breakfast at Jimmy's, a restaurant in a bowling alley, which has quite good food. Foxy had an omelet, and I had pancakes, eggs and bacon. The omelet was large and could not be finished. The waitress asked Foxy, "Do you want a box to take it home?" Foxy decided that leftover omelet was not wonderful and said, "No, but I hate to waste food." The waitress said, "Oh, it won't be wasted." I thought she would say something about giving left over food to the shelter. However she said, "We have a pig, and all leftovers are given to the pig, so nothing is wasted. Everyone needs a pig."

We thought about this pronouncement and decided that a pig might be good for a restaurant but not for folks like us who live in a motor home. What would we get? Maybe a pot bellied pig who would then have to be trained to climb up and down the entrance steps and get along with Max. I can see it now. No thanks! We do not need to emulate the Clampets of The Beverly Hillbillies fame. Happy travels.