July 31, 2011

July 31, 2011

We spent the morning and part of the afternoon watching the NASCAR race from Indianapolis.

Our next door RV neighbors, Pat and Byron Baker, celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary today.  They were going for ice cream and invited us to join them.  Yippy, Skippy!  Pat had lived in this area when she was a child and showed us some of the interesting history of the area.

I spent the evening working on a sewing project.  Before the sun went down, Bill continued cleaning the outside of the coach.

Today’s Totals:  motorhome miles, 0---white swans, 2--white pelicans, too many to count.  They were circling above the dam and locks.  It made us think that there must be an extra number of fish below the dam and they were having Sunday dinner.

July 30, 2011

July 30, 2011

A blue sky day and temperature in the low 80° greeted us this morning.  We set out early to do some geocaching in Barstow, IL.  Fourteen caches later we decided it was time to do some shopping.  We stopped at Lowe’s for new faucets for the motorhome and made a quick stop at Walmart before heading home to watch NASCAR qualifying.

We both took naps.  As they would say in Texas, we were plumb tucker out.  It was a very busy morning.

Just before dinner, our RV neighbors brought a container of homemade brownies.  I do believe that they are the best that I’ve every tasted.  There’s a saying that “life is short, eat dessert first.”  Well, it is and I did.  Yum, yum!

Travel Totals:  MH, 0---caches, 14--high temp, 89°

July 29, 2011

July 29, 2011

The weather improved greatly from the storm yesterday.  The swan was in the lagoon again, and several pelicans were circling over the dam and locks.

We went to the Post Office this afternoon to pick up our mail that Lori had forwarded earlier in the week.  It hadn’t arrived yet so we will check again on Monday.  We may need to stay in the area until the USPS gets its act together.

This is the second day in a row that we haven’t been out caching.  That’s a bummer!  Hopefully, tomorrow will be a good geocaching day.  

Travel totals:  mileage, 0---white swan, 1---American Pelicans, 7---geocaches, 0

July 28, 2011

July 28, 2011

Just as we got up this morning the rain started to come down...in buckets.  Not long afterwards the lightening (some of it very close) and thunder joined in. The storm went on for several hours.

I decided that today would be a good day to get the sewing machine out and work on a couple of projects that needed to be completed.  I accomplished quite a bit and plan to leave the machine out for a couple of days.

July 27, 2011

July 27, 2011

The white swan was back this morning for my enjoyment.  There was a also an American White Pelican (white with black wing tips) “fishing” in the river.

Our adventure took us back and forth across the Mississippi River (Honk, honk, yahoo! X 2) today.  We drove to LeClaire, Iowa to cache.  The little town is full of antique shops, including the one from American Pickers on the History Channel.  It was a small, very crowded store with a lot about the show.  And there was even a geocache hidden there.  Yippy, Skippy!  We found four caches before going back home for lunch. 

I worked on a beading project while Bill watched Westerns.  After dinner and the weather had cooled down we went caching again.

Travel totals:  MH miles---0, big, white birds---2, caches--9

July 26, 2011

July 26, 2011

I looked out the window this morning and saw a white swan swimming at the edge of the lagoon between our camping site and the Mississippi River.  What a treat!  

After accomplishing a few odd jobs around the motorhome this morning, Bill and I went in search of a beauty shop that could give me a perm.  We felt fortunate that I could get it done immediately.  I was overdue and looked as if I was wearing a fright wig.  Soon after we got home a thunderstorm blew through.  It didn’t last long, but did freshen the air.

While it rained, I worked on a beading project.  Bill was watching a Western.  Both of us gave new meaning to “happy campers.”

After dinner we went caching for about an hour.  We were able to find four “treasures” before dark forced us to stop.  We spent most of the time walking in grassy parks.  As a result, we each have our fair share of chigger bites.  It has been years since either of us have been in a chigger area.  It is an experience we would like to avoid from now on.  As tiny as those little rascals are, they cause a very itchy, red bump.

Totals for today:  motorhome mileage--0,  geocaches--4, chigger bites--too many to count!

July 25, 2011

July 25, 2001

When we left Quincy it was 81°.  When we arrived in Moline, still in Illinois, it was 89°.  That’s better than the last week, but still warm.  We left the coach at Walmart and set off to find the Army Corps of Engineers Visitor Center at Rock Island Arsenal.  Bill had put the address into the nuvi so we would know how to get there.  Yeah, right!  More than once the exit that we needed was blocked and we had to cross a bridge into Iowa (Honk, honk, yahoo!) to make a u-turn to cross back across the Mississippi River into Illinois (Honk, honk, yahoo!), only to discover that the street the NUVI wanted us to turn on didn’t exist.  Finally, we got on the bridge that would take us to the island and the Visitor Center.  We got information on camping at ACOE campgrounds at the dams and locks along the Mississippi River.  The best route to take was to cross into Davenport, Iowa (H, h, y!), follow River Road for about 10 miles, cross the river  back into Illinois (ditto) and drive a couple of miles to Fisherman’s Corner ACOE campground so we could check it out.  There were several sites available so we went back to Moline to move our “house” to the CG.  Whee!

With all of the turning around and bridge crossing that we did we decided that the nuvi earned the nickname U-turn Laverne for today.

This is the first day since we left Brent’s that we haven’t geocached, so you know that all of the running back and forth took its toll on the two of us.

Travel trivia:  mileage for the day--150, caches--0, bridge crossings--5, u-turns--at least 10!

July 24, 2011

July 24, 2011

It was cool and cloudy so we went out for some caching.  We found three before a thunderstorm sent us scurrying for the car and then home.  It showered off and on until mid day...good for the temperature, but bad for the humidity.

We moved the motorhome from Sam’s Club across the street to Walmart. This is a much busier parking lot than Sam’s was.  And more entertaining, too.

We went caching again this afternoon.  One of the “hunts” took us across Quincy Bay on a very old, narrow one-way bridge to Quinsippi Island.  It was an adventure.  On the island there were several old log cabins that were part of a village from the 1800s.  

Today’s totals:  distance traveled--3/4 of a mile, caches--seven.

July 23, 2011

July 23, 2011

This morning the sky was overcast and the temp was 80°.  That’s good geocaching weather, so off we went.  We were only able to find two caches, but we saw some very interesting parts of Hannibal that we hadn’t seen yesterday.  We talked to a resident who explained their levy system protecting the city.  Today the river was at 12 feet, which looked OK to us.  Not long ago it crested at 22 feet, but the levy did its job.  One of the “hunts” took us on a high cliff overlooking the town and the river.  Before finding the cache we watched as a barge worked its way north on the Mississippi River.

After taking care of some chores at home we left Hannibal and Missouri, crossed the Mississippi River once more, and “honk honk yahooed” our way into Illinois.

We parked at Sam’s Club in Quincy, and before getting too settled in our cool MH, we got into our cool Honda and drove to the dam and locks a few miles south of town.  We watched the barges, loaded with wheat, heading north.  They were going through the locks six barges at a time.

After spending the rest of the afternoon in the air conditioned MH, we went caching.  The weather had cooled down a bit and we were able to visit some great sites along the Mississippi River waterfront.

Totals for the day:  mileage traveled today--23,  caches found--eight.

July 22, 2011

July 22, 2011

When we got to Hannibal, MO at noon, the temp was only 95°!  Compared to yesterday, it was like a cold snap, as my grandmother use to say.   By mid afternoon, we were ready to go for some caching.

Hannibal is called America’s Hometown.  It was made famous by Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, who grew up in Hannibal.  All of the caches that we found centered around Mark Twain and his fictional characters.  We went from the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, to the historic downtown area, to a lighthouse up 67 steps (huff and puff), to an old preforming arts theater.  We enjoyed being in Hannibal.  It is a neat little town.

Today’s totals:  mileage--142 miles, caches--seven.

July 21, 2011

July 21, 2011

When we left the green, rolling hills of Mississippi and crossed into Tennessee and Arkansas, the terrain changed to flat farm land.  Although it was interesting, it was just about “same ole, same ole” for miles and miles.  We got to the hills again as we went further north into Missouri.

Also, the further north we went the hotter it got.  We parked in Festus, MO, and immediately turned on the generator and both air conditioners.  We finally ventured out to cache at 7:00.  By then it was only 97° (The highest we saw for the day was 102°.)  We were able to find three caches before dark overtook us.

Totals for today’s travels:  Motorhome miles--115, geocaches--3, sweat--approx. one gallon each!  The ticks (0) were smart enough to hide from the heat!

July 20, 2011

July 20, 2011

When we got to Walmart in Sikeston, Missouri, the place that Bill wanted to park the motorhome had a pickup and a car parked straight in with six parking spaces between.  Well, Mr. Drivers Ed. Teacher proceeded to parallel park the 36 ft. coach.  He did a great job and was very proud that he hadn’t lost his touch.

Sikeston is the home of the original Lambert’s, where they throw the hot rolls at you instead of setting a basket of bread on the table like most restuarants do.  It is a fun place to eat and the food is great.  

After resting and enjoing the air conditioned MH, we ventured out into the heat to geocache.  After a couple of hours and six finds, we went back home to rest and relax in the cool.

Earlier in our fulltime motorhome life we set a tradition of honking and yelling “yahoo” when we crossed a state line.  We spent last night in Tennessee, but had to cross back into Mississippi (Honk, honk, yahoo!) to get back to I-55.  And then it was back into Tennessee.  (Honk,Honk, yahoo!)  In just a few miles we crossed the mighty Mississippi River into Arkansas.  (Honk, honk, yahoo!)  Seventy miles further down the highway we crossed into Missouri.  (Honk, honk, yahoo!)  Add to that our almost constant state of confussion and we have five states for today.!

Totals for today’s travels:  Motorhome miles--152, geocaches--6, ticks--0.

July 19, 2011

July 19, 2011

Yesterday, we left Brent’s in 79° weather, drove 119 miles and found four geocaches.  This morning when we got on the road it was 90° with clear skies!  I think it’s going to be a warm one today.

We stopped in Batesville, MS for fuel and caching.  Two finds, but the third one wasn’t so successful.  We didn’t find it, but a tick found me...a first for me in a long time.  And I hope the last.

We drove on into Memphis and, after resting and sitting in the air conditioned MH, we went out to cache...bringing our total for the day to seven.  

Totals for today’s adventures:  Motorhome miles--90, geocaches--7, ticks--1

July 18, 2011

July 18, 2011

At 10:00 this morning Bill and I left Brent’s.  Sniff! Sniff!  We’ve had a great time with those four Mississippi family members.  And now our journey continues.

It was 79° and overcast when we turned north onto I-55.  Good driving weather, eh?

We stopped for lunch at a Rest Area.  While there I went to the Geocaching app on my iPhone.  There was a cache about five miles east of West.  Yes, that’s no typo!  The cache was actually in Possum Neck, MS...honestly!  And Bill, being the scrooge that he can be sometime, wouldn’t pull off the Interestate at West, unhook the Honda, and let me go find it.  And it was in Possum Neck!!  To visit that town has been on my “someday list” for a long time.  Really!  I missed my chance because of the bozo in the driver’s seat.  What a bummer!

At 2:15, we stopped in Grenada, parked at Walmart and set out to find a few caches.  The town was formed when two small towns were joined together and named Grenada, which is the Choctaw word for marriage.  There is a lot of history in this area. We cached in two cemeteries...one for Confederate soldiers, and one for victims of a yellow fever epidemic in 1878 which killed 80-90% of the town.

This was one of the coolest days we’ve had in a long time.  89° was the high with clouds most of the time.  We spent the night in the Walmart parking lot.

July 13, 2011

July 13, 2011

Today is granddaughter Natalia’s 17th birthday.  The years have really flown by.  I was in the delivery room when she came into this world.  It has been a wonderful journey through the years with her.  Happy Birthday, Little Precious!

Today Brent and I went to the Verizon Store where I invested in an iPhone.  Now I need to go back to college to learn how to use it.  Lori (via phone) and Brent (sitting beside me) helped a lot, but I still have a lo-o-o-o-ong way to go.  I haven’t ever claimed that I’m a techno and I certainly proved it today, if there was any doubt.

A day or two ago Brent and I took Bill to Five Guys for hamburgers.  They claim to be the nation’s best burgers.  Don't worry, In-N-Out.  You have nothing to worry about!

We had meant to leave Mississippi on Friday, but now it looks as if that isn’t going to happen.  Stay tuned for further news................

July 4, 2011

July 4, 2011

We got back to Brent’s house in Mississippi mid day Friday.  We were all rather tired from the excitement of a week in Florida so we didn’t accomplish much for the rest of the day.  It was a great trip, though.  The weather was good most of the time so the white sand beaches were well used by this tribe.  We love Florida!

Saturday was spent unloading and cleaning the MH.  The sand may be white and beautiful on the beach, but its not the same when its inside.  We watched the NASCAR race from Daytona, FL.  While that was going on I did some beading.  I made a brown, lime green, and gold necklace.  The fact that I am doing something creative is an indicator that I am feeling better.

Sunday was hot so we spent most of the day between the cool

MH and Brent’s even colder house.  A rain storm in the evening cooled things off somewhat.

Happy 4th of July everyone!  We will be celebrating with some of Brent’s neighborhood friends!