Tuesday, July 31, 2012

July 31, 2012


July 31, 2012

This morning I got a permanent.  Yippy, Skippy!  I really, really, really needed one.  I was having too many bad hair days.  And once again, I can’t tell you why it is called a permanent when it is only temporary!

We went to Sam’s Club for pizza.  Bill also needed to check out the diesel pump at their station to make sure he could get the coach in OK.  Looks good!

On the way home we stopped to try to find a cache that we looked for the last time we were in Rapid City.  This time we were successful.  Yea!

By the time we got back home there were very dark clouds moving in.  And we did have rain...at least six drops.  It was disappointing because the area is dry and needs a good soaking.

Once again we spent the evening watching the Olympics.

Monday, July 30, 2012

July 30, 2012


July 30, 2012

We left the MH this morning just after 9:00.  Our quest for the day was to find a lawyer who could help us with some legal work that we’ve been putting off for too long.

After getting information from several people and talking to several lawyers we decided to take out problems back to Loveland to the attorney we talked with last year.

We practiced for our anniversary celebration at Burger King.  Bill was happy.  He thinks practice will make perfect.

Nap time was really welcome when we got back home.  We were really tired from all the wandering around Rapid City.  After resting, we spent most of the rest of the day watching the Olympics.  The dedication of the athletes and their families is remarkable.  

Sunday, July 29, 2012

July 29, 2012


July 29, 2012

We went from a cloudy, rainy morning to clear blue skies, and back to rain, and back to sunshine.  I have no idea if it was hot outside or not.  I stayed inside of the MH all day long.

We watched the NASCAR race from Indianopolis.  It was a good race and one of the Hendricks’ drivers, Jimmy Johnson, won.  We were glad about that.

It is a tradition in NASCAR that the winner and his whole team kiss the bricks at the finish line.  (The only part of the “brickyard” that is still made of bricks.)  Well, Jimmy tried to get his little two year old daughter to kiss the bricks.  No way was she going to have any part of that.  She wasn’t about to kiss that dirty, grimy ground.  It was so cute!

The Olympics had some interesting activities today.  We usually don’t watch much of the Games, but now that we can record them and watch later, minus the ads, we have watched quite a bit.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

July 28, 2012


July 28, 2012

Bill got up really early (I think!) to take advantage of Cabela’s dumping station.  So now we have empty holding tanks (I guess!).  Actually, I went back to sleep so I don’t know all the things that Super RVer was doing, but when I woke up we were 100 miles further down the road.

When we got to the turnoff for the Badlands National Park we took the road south to the small town of Interior, SD.  Meredith had ask us to stop at the KOA to meet the family that she and Dwaine bought their Loveland house from.  The whole Kyle family works in the summer at the campground and travel during their off season.  They were nice to visit with, but we didn’t stay long.  They were very busy keeping everything running smoothly at the KOA.

We arrived at the Elks Lodge in Rapid City at 1:30.  We have signed up for five days camping and can extend that if we need to.  

Today’s Travel Totals: Mileage, 280.     

Friday, July 27, 2012

July 27, 2012


July 27, 2012 

After leaving Council Bluffs at 6:30,  we pulled into the Sioux City Sam’s Club parking lot in time to eat a pancake breakfast at McDonald’s.  After “fueling” ourselves and the motor home, we continued north on I-29 and discovered an interesting bit of geography.  Sioux City is in Iowa, South Sioux City is in Nebraska, and North Sioux City is in South Dakota.  Hm-m-m-m!  We only crossed one river, but didn’t know it put us in South Dakota.  Several miles later there were billboards advertising thing in SD.  We completely missed a State Line Celebration!  Drats!  Oh, well.  Life goes on!

We parked at Cabela’s in Mitchell on I-90.  There was a geocache power run starting here with caches hidden every .1 of a mile.  Usually, each container is alike and hidden in the same manner.  When we finally got started we found all of them fairly quickly.  

You may know that I report critter sightings from time to time.  Well, today, besides seeing cattle on the ranches as we drove across South Dakota, I saw a tiny chipmunk in the parking lot at Cabela’s.  I have had some help today, though...from Meredith in Loveland, Colorado.

This morning, both of her dogs were setting up quite a ruckus in the backyard.  She called them and Joey came back to her.  Not Hapa!  She wouldn’t give up.  It seems the dogs had a raccoon in a tree and Hapa wasn’t about to leave her prize.  Meredith won out, in spite of the dog’s determination.

Later, Dwaine took the dogs on a trail for some exercise.  They met a couple who advised Dwaine not to go any further.  There was a bear taking a nap by the side of the trail.  That would have been a whole new kind of playmate for the two pups.  Yikes!

So my critter report was borrowed.  Thanks, Meredith.

Today’s Travel Totals: Mileage, 253---Geocaches found, 13.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

July 26, 2012


July 26, 2012 

As we drove across Missouri we noticed how much drier it was than Mississippi.  So when we woke up to the sound of hard rain on the roof, we thought the “locals” must be very happy.  

Just after 7:00 we left Columbia.  Two hours later we stopped at a Rest Area to eat breakfast.  It was still raining, but not very hard.  As we continued our journey west toward Kansas City, the landscape became greener.

The storm clouds went away after we turned north.  By the time we crossed into Iowa (honk, honk, yahoo) we were under clear blue skies.  90° was the number!

We parked at Sam’s Club in Council Bluffs and took some time to rest.  Before the day was over the temp had risen to 99°.

We went out to find some caches in the middle of the afternoon.  I heard a strange noise, kind of like a rattlesnake shaking its tail.  The sound was off and on.  Bill couldn’t hear it at all and ask me where I was hearing it.  I said, “Right over here on my side.”  He said, “Oh, good.”  A knight in shining armor he is not.  Geez!  By the way, the noise was caused by my window not being completely closed.

Today’s Travel Totals: Mileage, 307---Geocaches found, 5.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

July 25, 2012


July 25, 2012 

We left Blytheville at 7:00 and crossed into Missouri five minutes later.  That got Super Driver’s day off to a good start.  He loves the air horn!

We had planned to go to downtown Saint Louis to see the Gateway Arch.  I had even talked myself into riding the tram up to the observation area.  By the time we were about halfway there, the temp and humidity were both high already.  We decided to put the Gateway Arch on our “someday list.”

We took a shortcut to bypass some of the city traffic.  It took us to I-70 going west toward Columbia.  We had planned to park at Sam’s Club, but saw a Bass Pro Shop sign and decided to go there.  We are nothing if not flexible.

The generator and air conditioners had a workout today.  The highest temp we saw was 105°.  Ugh!  We went out for dinner in a cool restaurant and had the Honda AC up as high as it could go when we were driving.

If you were ever in doubt about our sanity or lack there of, this will help you make up your mind.  We went caching, finding one in the 104° heat.  The good thing was that the cache was in the shade.  It helped a lot.  One cache was all we wanted to try.

Today’s Travel Totals: Mileage, 321---Geocaches found, 1---Critter sighting, 1 turtle.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

July 24, 2012


July 24, 2012  

We left the motorhome at 9:00 to go into Memphis for some morning geocaching.  We had no luck finding any.  And the heat and humidity nearly got the best of us.

Our main purpose for going into downtown Memphis today was to find the Peabody Hotel.  That is the home of the famous Peabody Marching Ducks.

Many, many years ago, as a joke, someone put three ducks in the fountain of the main lobby.  They were such a hit with the patrons that it was decided to keep them.  An employee trained the ducks.  He was the first Duckmaster in the world.  For 50 years, the ducks were his responsibility.

Every day at 11:00' the ducks (5 now) ride the elevator from the rooftop down to the lobby and march on the red carpet to the fountain, climb the steps, and jump in the water.   At 5:00, they climb out of the water, walk back to the elevator, and go back to the rooftop where they live.  The fifth Duckmaster follows them as they perform.

To see them was well worth the trip downtown.  And we got to do the state line routine two times.  It isn't as much fun in the Honda with it’s wimpy horn.  The motorhome air horns can really make a racket.

We drove on I-55 and Hwy. 63 to the little town of Marked Tree. The tree showed the Indians where they could wade 124" feet to the other side of the river, saving an 11 mile canoe trip for then.

Before stopping for the night, we drove on to Blytheville to the Walmart.

Today’s Travel Totals: Today’s mileage, 91---Geocaches found, 2.

Monday, July 23, 2012

July 23, 2012


July 23, 2012

Today was a “Willie Nelson” day.  We were “on the road again” at 10:00.  It is always hard to leave Brent, but today I ask him if it would hurt his feelings if I missed Willie more than him?  He said it wouldn’t.

Speaking of Willie...Coleson and Willie were on Brent’s bed, watching TV.  Willie got frisky when I came into the room.  He really wanted to play. He put one of his big paws out and pushed me in the stomach.  I stumbled backwards, but didn’t fall down.  I heard Coleson say, in a soft voice, “Be careful with Abuela.  She’s old.”  Gr-r-r-r-r!  That’s not Willie growling.  That’s me!

We stopped at Walmart in Batesville for fuel and to have lunch.  Afterwards, we went on toward Memphis.  Honk, honk, yahoo when we crossed into Tennessee.  And again when we crossed the Mississippi River into Arkansas.  Bill was ecstatic at being able to honk so many times in such a short amount of time.  He’s really easy to entertain!

We parked at the Walmart in West Memphis at 3:30.  It was hot, so Bill turned on the generator and both air conditioners.  We “cooled” for about two hours.

And then it was time to geocache, hot weather or not.  We were able to find two of the little things before we “melted.”

Today’s Travel Totals: Today’s mileage, 225---Geocaches found, 2---Critter sightings, 1 deer.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

July 22, 2012


July 22, 2012

Brent fixed an absolutely marvelous brunch.  One more reason that we'll miss that big guy when we leave tomorrow.

Lots of clouds today, but no rain so far.  The temp was not so high, but the humidity more than made up for it.  We won't miss that!

Brent, Coleson, and I went to a flea market.  It was in a large old warehouse with lots and lots of booths.  We spent about two hours looking and looking, but didn't buy anything.

The building was not air conditioned, but there were fans in nearly every booth so I just went from fan to fan cooling off.  That was my plan and it worked!

Surprise, surprise!  When we got home, Tex was watching a Western.  I sat in the cool coach and tried to revive myself.

Brent made "mash tater bake" for dinner.  That's a dish from his childhood.  It was as good as I remembered.  Sometimes that isn't the case.

The three guys from the house came for a visit tonight.  Willie spent the whole time chewing on a bone left over from our Colorado trip.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

July 21, 2012


July 21, 2012

We had an early morning, very vicious thunderstorm.  It went on for two hours.  Lots of rain fell during that time.  By noon it had cleared.  High thin clouds again.  Wow!  What a the storm!

Most of my day was spent getting ready to leave on Monday.  We still have things in Brent's garage that we left here when we drove to Colorado, packed to the gills...five people and a dog.  Plus all of their paraphernalia.  And the normal stuff that Bill and I have stuffed in our home.  Everything has to fit in again.  Yikes!

Our plans for Monday are to go toward Memphis.  Only time will tell if that's what we really do.

Friday, July 20, 2012

July 20, 2012


July 20, 2012

Some blue sky this morning with a few thin clouds.  Rain is in the forecast, but we'll see.

Because we like the catfish at Ed's Barbecue, we went  there for lunch.  Friday is catfish day in this part of the world.  And they really know how to fix it.  Actually, I ordered pan trout.  It's my favorite.

We were going to Any and Mike's for a "friends potluck."  They have get togethers quite often.  Everyone brings dishes.  Brent smoked two racks of ribs and made a potato dish.  I made a peach cobbler.  Can you believe it?  I cooked something, or maybe I should say baked something.  Mark this day in history!

Dinner was great and visiting was even better.  It got really loud a time or two.  Bill went home early, but Brent and I stayed longer.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

July 19, 2012


July 19, 2012

Bill and I had several errands to do today, but first we went in search of the cache we had looked for twice before. 

Mike told us what we needed to look for...a rock.  Neither one of us could remember seeing any rocks in the immediate area of the cache.  We looked, but still didn’t see any rocks.  

I finally started looking in the tall grass by a fence.  And there it was, a rock about the size of a small plum.  Under it, stuck down in the ground, was a little plastic tube holding the log sheet.

Thank you, Mike!

We went on to Sam’s Club to get gasoline for the Honda, purchase a small battery charger, and eat lunch.  Next door to Sam’s was Bass Pro Shop.  I stayed in the car while Bill made a quick search for a certain kind of fan that we need.

By the time we headed for our last stop, Walmart, really dark clouds had started to gather.  Soon it was raining very hard, so we put off the Walmart shopping and out distanced the rain.  Just as we pulled into the driveway at Brent’s house, it started to rain.  Soon after getting into the motorhome, the rain came full force.  

It rained hard for a couple of hours.  Even when it slowed down, there was much lightening and thunder.  The rain stopped at about 6:00.  Whee!  That was a gully washer!

I spent the evening working on a beading project.  It was a good night to stay inside.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

July 18, 2012


July 18, 2012

Before lunch, we went geocaching with Coleson.  Brent was our driver.  There is a cache that we have tried several times to find, but couldn’t.  Coleson is such a good cacher we thought he might be successful.  The heat kept us from searching for very long and we weren’t able to make the find.

One of Brent’s neighbors, Mike, is a cacher and told us where it was hidden.  He found it two years ago.  We’ll go back tomorrow to see if it is still there.  

We had more lightening, thunder, and rain late this afternoon.  The storm lasted for quite awhile.  When it was over, the grass path into Brent’s house was very soggy.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

July 17, 2012


July 17, 2012

Another beautiful, but humid day in Mississippi.  No rain!  Lots of blue sky.  Big fluffy clouds!

For lunch we went to Ed’s again.  Their food is good, especially the mac and cheese, and the green beans.  Today’s special was pork chops.  We enjoy going there.  Its an interesting place with all sorts of antiques lining the walls.  

Sara spent some time today getting ready for another trip.  Her friend, Dorothy, invited her to go to Charlotte, NC, and Washington DC.  It sounds like they will have a very good, busy time.  Sara was excited about it.

The sunset tonight was gorgeous.  By the time I got out the door to take a picture, the color had faded.  Shucks!

Monday, July 16, 2012

July 16, 2012


July 16, 2012

We didn’t have any rain today.  Lots of clouds, but nothing falling from them.  It was still very muggy, though.

Brent and I went to lunch and then he took me to a UPS store because I needed to send a FAX.  The state of California is trying to tax us because we were using Lori’s address.

Last year they tried the same for 2007, but it didn’t work.  This time it was for 2009.  I sent an explanation of our situation to their PO Box in Sacramento, but they didn’t get it.  California figured that we owed over $500 since they hadn’t from us.  

I sent all the information again via a FAX, so now I have a paper trail.  Let’s hope that they read their FAXs.  I know California is desperate for money, but that’s not my problem.

In the middle of the afternoon, Bill and I went to Penney’s to get him some shorts.  He hasn’t had on a pair of jeans in so long, so he needed some new duds.  We hit a sale.  Yippy, Skippy!  $10 a pair.  He bought five pair.  Also a pair of tennis shoes which were on sale.

Tonight we had neighbors come for a visit.  That was nice.  It doesn’t happen often.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

July 15, 2012


July 15, 2012

We spent most of the morning and afternoon watching the NASCAR race from New Hampshire.  The Hendricks’ drivers did well, with one winning the race and the other three finishing in the top 10.

Once again I treated myself to an afternoon nap.  Does the word “lazy” come to mind?  

Bill had a “hankering” for shrimp for dinner tonight, so he, Brent, and I went to Penn’s to satisfy the “leader of the pack.”  

Tonight, we watched a John Wayne movie and a couple of recorded Westerns, Rawhide and Gunsmoke.  High class entertainment, eh?

Saturday, July 14, 2012

July 14, 2012


July 14, 2012

Brent took me to Sam’s Club today.  We ate and shopped for about an hour.  During the time we were in the store, it started raining very hard.  We could hear it beating on the skylights.  By the time we left the rain had nearly stopped.

For Brent, going to Walmart is a “fate worse than death.”  In spite of that, we stopped for a few groceries on the way home.  What a guy!  Is he a good son or what?  That was really a sacrifice for him...for his “poor old gray haired mother.”

I rested when we got back to the MH.  At 5:00, a thunderstorm made its presence known.  Several lightening strikes hit very close and the thunder was so loud that the motorhome shook a couple of times.  The storm lasted for nearly an hour.  Needless to say, it wasn’t geocaching weather.

Friday, July 13, 2012

July 13, 2012


July 13, 2012

Friday, 13th.  Bad day?  Not for me.

This morning I slept late.  Lately, that hasn’t happened very often.  I certainly needed the extra rest.

Brent and I went to lunch at Ed’s new barbecue place.  Business was booming.  There was only one table left after we got seated.  As usual, the food was great.

When we got back home we both thought naps should be the order of the day, so Brent went to check out his sofa.  I went to the MH, got my favorite blanket, and curled up on the bed for a few extra winks.

It rained really hard.  That’s good “sleeping music.”  By the time I woke up, the rain was barely coming down.  

The rest of the day was spent relaxing.

Not a bad day for Friday the 13th, eh?

Thursday, July 12, 2012

July 12, 2012


July 12, 2012

Wild Bill had the “big box” on the road at 6:50.  That’s not unusual for him.  Brent was riding shotgun.  If he has a choice, he usually isn’t up at that hour.  The kids were still asleep.  As for Willie, he was being a speed bump, and doing a good job of it.  

As for me, I was sitting at the table pecking away at my journal as we head east out of Springfield.  Two and a half hours later we honked and yahooed our way into Arkansas.  I’m sorry to say, the roads immediately deteriorated.

At Hardy the road improved somewhat.  We went through the small town of Imboden.  Sounds like a modern day medicine, doesn’t it? 

At Jonesboro, we pulled into Sam’s Club.  While Bill filled the MH tank with diesel, the rest of us went inside to “fill our tanks” with hot dogs and pizza.  I ordered for Bill, but it was a long time before he came in.  He said while he was pumping the diesel, he made the mistake of leaving the door open.  The screen was closed and Willie was looking out.  People kept coming over to the MH to see “that big, beautiful dog.”  Bill said he almost never got away!

Not long before we crossed into Tennessee it started to rain.  We crossed the Mississippi River at Memphis (Honk, honk! Yahoo!) on I-55.  About 15 minutes later we crossed into Mississippi (ditto).  Brent said that time it sounded like a “Sippi” horn.

We had dark skies and rain all the way back to Brandon.  In spite of that, and the fact that we went 490 miles today, Bill feels that we made good time.

We had a good time on our trip.  We were gone 25 days.  It was well worth it to have everyone together.  

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

July 11, 2012


July 11, 2012

At 7:45 this morning we were singing our Willie Nelson traveling song.  We didn’t get very far, though, before we stopped at Flying J for fuel and propane.  And not very far on down the road we stopped at a Rest Area to dump the holding tanks.

So-o-o-o, it was nearly 9:00 when we actually started our day’s journey.  Some days it just takes a little longer.

I went to the back of the coach to take a nap.  When I woke up we were an a back road.  Oh, my!  Oh, I forgot.  We were going around a toll road and this was the way.  Rats, I thought we were on another adventure!

As we went from Kansas into Missouri, Bill drowned me out with the air horns.  So I was forced to yell two yahoos.  He should knows by now that he can’t out do me.  I always find a way.

We drove south to Springfield to Bass Pro Shop, the largest one in the chain.  It covers several blocks and is expanding to include a museum.  We parked in their parking lot for RVs and went in to explore the store.

A couple of hours later we drove south to Ozark, where there is a Lambert’s Cafe, home of the throwed rolls.  It is always a treat when we get to eat at Lambert’s.

Brent and Coleson went back into Bass Pro Shop for another hour of roaming around.

Today, we drove 345 miles!

July 10, 2012


July 10, 2012

We were 10 minutes late for our 9:00 departure.  And considering that we will be changing time zones later this morning, I’d guess you could say we were 70 minutes behind.

We were in Colorado for three weeks and had a fantastic time.  It went by so fast.  From the first day we got here until yesterday we were busy with all sorts of activities.  

Sara, in particular, didn’t want to leave.  She had “bunked” at Meredith’s and had her own space, complete with a TV.  Sara called it her apartment.  Neat “digs,” eh?

We drove to Denver and turned east toward Kansas.  Before we got to the state line we stopped in the tiny town of Flagler for lunch.  They would probably roll up the sidewalks at sunset if they had sidewalks.

I can’t tell you if our typical state line celebration was performed as we crossed from Colorado into Kansas.  I was taking a nap.  Bill said it was taken care of.

Eastern Colorado had been flat and very dry with mainly ranches along the way.  Western Kansas, on the other hand, had some rolling hills and green farmland.  That was a pleasant change of scenery.

We stopped for the night at the Walmart in Salina.  There was a cache across the street.  Coleson and I made quick work of it.  He is such a good cacher.

We traveled 475 miles today, with Brent driving two different times.  Bill used that “relief driver” time to take naps.

We saw lots of horses and cows, but we also saw a herd of buffalo.  That was a bit different.

Monday, July 9, 2012

July 9, 2012


July 9, 2012

I stayed up very late last night working on a wood burning project for Meredith and Dwaine's deck.  The words took a lot of time.  I got up early this morning to add scenery to the design...mountains, a lake, a trail, and grass.

Bill helped me load things in the Honda and I went to Meredith's. After unloading everything, I "kidnapped" Lori.  We went to Sonic and sat at a table and talked for about an hour.

Part of the group drove to Estes Park mid afternoon to drive go karts.  Team Frantic rides again!  After driving two "races" some of the group stayed to play miniature golf while Meredith, Sara, and I went back into downtown shopping area.

Before going back home, we got ice cream.  That's a good way to end a shopping trip.

Michelle had cooked a pot roast and Brent fixed mashed potatoes for dinner.  We certainly have eaten well since coming to Colorado.

We had planned on continuing our photo project tonight, but we were all too tired.  We have been completing projects and getting things packed in the coach basements and the back of the Honda in anticipation of a travel day tomorrow.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

July 8, 2012


July 8, 2012

The rain had stopped by this morning but there are still lots of clouds.  The smell of cinnamon rolls made and baked by Natalia and Michelle was the bright spot of the morning.

Brent, Bill and Lori spent time this morning doing some maintenance on her van, checking brakes and other fun things like that.  She has a long drive back to California and her dad wants her safe.

Some of the group went to a movie.  Some went shopping.  Bill and I, dog sitters of Tucker, took naps.  So did Tucker!  He’s such a good dog.

Later in the afternoon, the girls in the family came for me so we could go to a new shopping place in Fort Collins. Charming Charlie’s was an interesting place to shop.  Unlike most stores like it, Charlie’s was very well arranged by colors of the merchandise.

We drove to Mead, south of Loveland, to eat barbecue.  After ordering, Bill, Coleson, Matthew, Sara, and I, went hunting for a geocache hidden on the property.  We had walked right past it as we went into the restaurant.

Permission was given for the cache to be on private property, but after finding it I showed Jenne, one of the owner’s, where it was hidden.

We went back to Meredith’s to go through more pictures.  Digital cameras were invented about 30 years to late!
                                                  

Saturday, July 7, 2012

July 7, 2012


July 7, 2012

As I’ve said before, flexibility counts.  Being flexible in a schedule is super important.  That I can usually accomplish.  Body flexibility, which I don’t have much of lately, is something I’m really missing.

While some of the family walked the dogs, Michelle and I went to a few garage sales.  Brent, Coleson, and Ron went to a car show.

It was cooler today and overcast.  As the day progressed the sky got darker and darker.  By late afternoon rain had started to fall.  That didn’t keep the girls from all going to thrift stores in Fort Collins.  

Brent made all the fixin’s for “make your own burritos.”  Michelle was his assistant.  Good eating!

Friday, July 6, 2012

July 6, 2012


July 6, 2012

I thought yesterday was confusing.  But today took the cake.  My, oh, my!  Finally, I just went with the flow, even when the flow went backwards.

At 11:00, after collecting Joshua from weight training, we went to Horsetooth Reservoir.  Part of the group went earlier and secured two covered picnic tables with a very good view of the lake and the swimming area.

After eating lunch, some of the group, including the dogs, went on a trail to a place where both humans and dogs could swim.  They had a great time.  To hear them tell it, Willie was the champion swimmer.  

From our picnic tables, we could look across the water and see where some of the wildfire damage was.  We didn’t see any fire or smoke today, but apparently the fire won’t be completely out for a couple of months.

The Park Rangers were out in force this afternoon.  There was a “no fire including charcoal” ban into effect.  At about 2:00, the rangers told everyone to get out of the water.  A storm was rolling in.  Lightening was a big concern.

For dinner, most of the group wanted to eat sushi.  It isn’t my favorite thing to eat, so I had a salad with just a small amount of sushi.  We had an interesting dessert.  I can’t remember the name of it, but it was good.

We went back to Meredith and Dwaine’s to go through some more pictures.  Once again, we had a hilarious time.

It rained off and on all evening. The moisture was very welcome.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

July 5, 2012


July 5, 2012

Our plans for today were to go to Boulder this morning to see the town and shop at the Pearl Street Mall.  You’ve heard the expression, “the best laid plans of mice and men.”  

Well, Meredith called to say they had a problem at their house and needed Ron and Bill to come to their aid.  The “men” discovered a leak and a broken wire in the sprinkler system.  From that point on, the “mouse” ran amok.  

It was 12:00 before we loaded part of our tribe into Michelle’s van and took off, with Brent at the wheel.  In a matter of a minute or two, some of us said we were hungry.  Where did we want to go to eat?  The passengers in the back said the two in the front could decide.  

Very soon, Brent whipped into the parking lot of Smash Burgers.  He said, “We’ve gone a block and a half.  Let’s eat here!”  Actually, is was a little further than that, but not by much.

Finally, at 1:00 we were on our way to Boulder.  Yes, we were off like a herd of turtles!  By the time we got to the shopping area, the temperature had risen into the mid 90s.  It was a great outdoor mall with some shade.  Children were playing in a fountain.  There were some places to sit.  Lots of people were enjoying the area.

Lori and her van load met us at the mall.  They couldn’t leave Loveland as early as we “hadn’t” because Tucker was being groomed.  Not long after they arrived the area was hit by a rainstorm of great magnitude.  That did away with most of the shopping.

By that time, we were hungry again.  With this mob, that is a usual occurrence.  One van wanting sushi went one way, while the rest of us decided on KFC by the time we got to Longmont.

Now you know why I said the “mouse” ran amok, don’t you?

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

July 4, 2012


July 4, 2012

Happy Fourth of July!

We spent much of the morning, afternoon, and evening going through a mountain of photographs.  What a hoot!  Sometime we laughed so hard we couldn't continue until we regained our composure.

Our holiday cookout, with Brent in charge of the grill, consisted of skirt steak and shrimp, baked beans, and fresh corn.  It was all very good, but what do you expect with Brent at the helm outside and the girls in charge of the inside prep?

There were fireworks at Lake Loveland tonight, but we decided not to go.  We were all rather tired from the activities of the last few days.  Bill and I could see some of 4th of July display from the motorhome, but either the trees blocked most of it or it was a pathetic show.  We probably should blame it on the trees!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

July 3, 2012


July 3, 2012

Early this morning most of the group took off for Denver and Elitch Gardens.  It is a great amusement park and water park.

Meredith, Michelle, and I stayed home and sorted pictures into categories.  Hopefully, it will speed up the process of "going down memory lane."  The four Dane girls need to decide which photos are keepers and which go in the "round file."  That’s going to be a big job!

Dinner tonight was lasagna made by Michelle.  It was really good with salad and garlic bread.

When the group returned from their exciting day in Denver, they were all very hungry and very tired.  None of them were tired to eat, though, and when they were full, they started talking about all the fun they had at Elitch’s.  It had been a very successful outing!

Monday, July 2, 2012

July 2, 2012


July 2, 2012

Today was slower for some of us, but not for others.  

I stayed home most of the day, not accomplishing a whole lot.  At noon, Michelle and I went on a couple of errands, ending at Walmart.

Lori and the two girls went shopping at the Outlet Mall and Kohl’s.  I have no idea what they bought, but they seemed to think the morning was a successful.  

The “shoppers” came for Brent and Joshua at noon.  They went to Fort Collins, north of here, and walked around the downtown area.  There are some really neat shops there.

Brent got home in time to cook potatoes for dinner.  Michelle and Bill made cornbread to go with the pinto beans Michelle and I had put in the crock pot this morning.  Meredith brought a ham.  We call this particular dinner "Soul Food."  It was yummy, yummy!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

July 1, 2012


July 1, 2012

We all gathered at Michelle's for brunch.  As usual, we had a  lot of food...bacon, sausage, eggs, waffles, cinnamon rolls, watermelon, juice, and coffee.

With happy tummies we changed houses for a picture taking session.  It lasted quite awhile. Afterwards, I gave each family member a treasure box.  On the top of each box, I had used my wood burning tools to make a design using our Team Frantic logo from our old sports car racing team.  The grandkids' boxes each had a $20 bill inside.  The adults' boxes didn't.  Bill was the only one who squawked about "no money."  Wouldn't you know it?!

We left for Denver at about 1:30.  Our purpose was twofold.  We went to Casa Bonita for a late lunch and to take JP and Rosie to the airport.

Casa Bonita was a good place to eat and the entertainment was fun, as always.  They had cliff divers, shootouts, a gorilla act and more.  We ate lots of sopapillas before we left.

And then the adventure began.  As we were heading for the airport, JP got a text from the airline changing their flight from 7:30 to midnight.  After calling from several phones, it was finally determined they would fly at 8:00 in the morning.

So-o-o, back too Loveland we all went.  Being flexible is the key.

We gathered at Meredith’s for “drag outs.”  There were more leftovers than we could eat.  Jim and Peggy came for another visit.  They will drive back to Santa Fe in the morning.  It has been so good having them here.