Sunday, November 30, 2014

November 30, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, to Lamar, CO


We were “On the Road Again” at 9:30.  We had strong winds to deal with all day long.

We knew we would be crossing two state lines, so Super Driver practiced his part in the State Line Celebration several times.  He does love those air horns!  I didn’t need to practice my part.  I am very proficient at “Yahooing.”

It wasn’t too long before we crossed into Oklahoma and performed our State Line Celebration.  We were immediately confronted with a terrible road.  Yikes.  What a difference between Colorado and Oklahoma!  After a few miles, however, we were on a new concrete road.

“Honk, honk!  Yahoo!”  We arrived in Texas.  Everything is bigger in Texas...including the wind.  Wow!  Bill was really hanging on and so was I.  By the time we got to Amarillo, it had calmed down some.

We stopped at Walmart for diesel before driving on to Sam’s Club to park for the night.  But it was not to be...we missed the exit.  We decided to go on to Flying J to see if they had extra RV parking spaces.  Nope!  Instead of retracing our tracks to Sam’s Club, we took Hwy. 287 to Clarendon.  A few miles further on down the highway we came to a Rest Area with plenty of room to park.

We weren’t able to get the Bronco game on our TV, so we kept up with their progress via the Internet.

Today, we traveled 297 miles.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

November 29, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


After a last minute scramble to get everything loaded and secured, we left Loveland at 9:55, five minutes earlier than Bill was aiming for.

In Denver, we turned east on I-70 and got to Limon in time for lunch and naps.  Once refreshed, we made our way to Lamar, where we parked at Walmart.  We were able to get the channel from Denver that would let us watch the Ducks game against Oregon State.

It was a good game because the Ducks won, 47-19, but Oregon seemed to run out of steam toward the end of the third quarter, allowing the Beavers to make most of their points then.

We traveled 250 miles today.  Most of it was past hay fields.  The landscape in this part of Oregon isn’t particularly nice, but there wasn’t much traffic.

Tomorrow, we will cross two state lines if all goes as planned!

Friday, November 28, 2014

November 28, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


November 28, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO

Happy Birthday, Matthew.  He is very excited to be 16 years old!

Michelle and I went to US Bank this morning before picking up Meredith and Dwaine to go shopping.  We stopped at Hobby Lobby first.  That didn’t take too long.  Michelle and I both knew what we needed so it made for a quick stop.

We stopped at Starbucks for three coffees and a hot chocolate for me.  That gave us energy to make our way to Costco to fight the crowds.  Actually, there weren’t as many shoppers as we thought there would be, and plenty of checkout lanes were open so we got out rather quickly.

When we got back in to Loveland, we took Meredith and Dwaine home before we went to the day old bread store.  Michelle always finds good bargins there.

She and I both had forgotten we needed to stop at Target.  That store was some busier than we had expected.  And it is a big store, so I got rather tired.  Michelle “parked” me at a chair in the snack bar while she finished the things on a rather long list.

I rested for about an hour after we got back home.  I needed the energy so I wouldn’t miss dinner out for Matthews birthday.  We went to McGraft’s.  After eating dinner, we went back to Michelle’s so Matthew could open birthday presents.  This was followed up with root beer floats, um, um!  Afterwards, most of the guys went to see a movie. 

Thursday, November 27, 2014

November 27, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Here in Loveland, our family members were doing a variety of things.  Michelle, along with Joshua, Connor, and Matthew, served dinner at a homeless shelter.  Ron had to work today, driving an airport shuttle.  Meredith served dinner to people at a dude ranch.

The rest of us...Dwaine, Bill, and I...stayed home and did some things around the house.  

Bill and I are planning to leave Loveland on Saturday, heading for Mississippi.  We plan to stop early enough to watch the Ducks game against Oregon State.  That is a big rivalry, known locally as the Civil War.

We will have some major things to do tomorrow in order for the coach to be ready to roll down the road on Saturday.

Tonight we went to Meredith and Dwaine’s for snacky-type food.  Of course, everything was good and we ate too much.  But we just had to have energy to be able to watch the Seahawks beat the 49ers.  That made Brent’s Thanksgiving even better!

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

November 26, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


Bill had an early morning doctor’s appointment today.  As soon as he got back home, he fired up the MH and went back to RV America.  There were some wiring problems and they needed to fix them.  It was about a five hour process, but worth it.  Now things seem to be A OK.

I stayed at Michelle’s while he went there.  I took a nap on the futon in her office.  She was waiting for a phone call from some government agency or other.  I didn’t even wake up while she was talking to them.

Meredith came at 12:30 to take me for an appointment to get another shot into my eardrum.  Each one gets more hurtful than the last and this one was no exception.  I’m glad this is the last one.  It was the most painful one of all.

Afterwards, we went to Hobby Lobby and then back to Meredith’s so I could rest.  Bill came for me after he had parked the coach back in Michelle’s driveway.

Because of other commitments, we had Thanksgiving dinner tonight...all the usual...turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, broccoli and rice, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie.  After we were thoroughly stuffed, we sat around the table and reminisced about rafting trips we have taken.  There was a lot of laughing going on.

We ended the evening with a viewing of Crocodile Dundee.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

November 25, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


Bill and I spent most of the morning just enjoying being back in our house.  We relaxed and watched some TV.  It was a nice way to spend our first morning at home after two weeks.

Meredith and the pups took me around to various places so I could finish some of my Christmas shopping for the Colorado clan.  I really appreciate all of them for taking their time to help me.

We are looking at the route we will take to go to Mississippi.  Hopefully, the weather won’t cause us any problems.  Bill figured our mileage to various stops along the way.

I wore my Oregon Duck sweatshirt today.  Several people made positive comments about it.  I was just practicing for Saturday’s game.  Quack, quack.

Tonight was the season finale for Dancing With The Stars.  Any of the three finalists deserved to win.  They were all really good.  We’ll miss having it to watch every week.

The day started off cold, but warmed up during the afternoon.  A strong wind started blowing at 3:00 and lasted for several hours.  At bedtime, it was 34°.

Monday, November 24, 2014

November 24, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


Happy Birthday, Coleson.  You and the motorhome are both 16 years old today!  Wow!

After getting a few chores accomplished this morning, Meredith, Jim, and I went to lunch...at Karl’s Jr.  Jim said we couldn’t stay for two hours today and talk.  Well, we didn’t miss it by too much.  At least an hour of chatting went on.

Jim gave us an update on his daughter, Jenalyn.  She lives in Sacramento, CA.  We saw her two years ago.  It was good to hear about that part of our family.

We took a few more pictures of sculptures.  We also drove through Sculpture Park.  There are so many interesting pieces of sculpture there, but we decided spring might be a better time of the year to photograph them.

We drove to Ft. Collins and picked up Peggy to go to JoAnn Fabric.  We spent quite a while shopping for quilting fabric for a quilt Peggy is working on.  There were so many patterns to choose from.  For me, picking the right color combinations was one of the hardest things about quilting.

After returning home to get Bill, we drove to RV America to get the motorhome.  Yes, you read correctly...the repairs on our house were finished.  Yippy, Skippy!  It was so-o-o-o good to be back in our own “little hallway.”

We appreciate Michelle and her family letting us stay at their house.  It worked out well for the past two weeks, but we did miss our motorhome.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

November 23, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


Michelle and I went to Sam’s Club this morning.  I used one of their motorized shopping carts.  I am getting rather good at driving one of those things.  I didn’t run over anyone or knock over any displays.  

When we went to Walmart, I just used a regular shopping cart.  Next time I will go motorized.  By the time I walked from one side of the store to the other, I was very, very tired.  I didn’t realize how big that store is.  Next time I will “drive” instead of pushing a cart.

At about 1:00, Michelle and I went to Meredith’s house.  She was getting ready for a “chili feed” during the Bronco game.  Michelle helped her in the kitchen.  I helped, too...by staying out of the way!

In the fourth quarter, Jim and Peggy came.  Their friends, Gene and Sherry, came with them.  The ending to the game was a very good one.  The Broncos pulled it out, winning 39-36.  Wow, that’s the way we like to see them finish a game.

We had chili, cornbread, dip and chips, and cookies for dessert.  People ate when they wanted to.  It was very laid back.

We ended the evening by talking around the table.  It was a good ending to a good day.  All day long, the temperature dropped.  It was 27° before we went to bed.  No snow, just cold! 

 
Reflection of the mountains in Lake Loveland.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

November 22, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


This morning, Michelle and I drove into Denver to shop at IKEA.  The traffic on I-25 was heavy, even though it was Saturday.  Half of the population of Denver was at IKEA.  Lots of kids, many of which were crying, and some of them pitching fits.  Those high pitched shrieks were really hard on my ears.

After shopping, we ate lunch in their dining room.  It was somewhat calmer, thank goodness!

When we left IKEA, we had an adventure.  We were looking for The Container Store, and made several u-turns in the process.  Finally, we rounded a corner and there it was!  We shopped there for a while, but didn’t buy anything.

I was wearing my Oregon Duck shirt.  The first two people we saw in The Container Store were also wearing “Duck” shirts.  We had a little impromptu pep rally.

As we headed back north, we made several stops along the way.  Michelle was looking for a coat.  I chose to stay in the car and rest.  The two big stores, IKEA and The Container Store, were just about all I could do for one day.

After arriving at Michelle’s, I took the opportunity to rest!

Oregon’s game wasn’t televised in this area, so I had to keep track of it on the Internet.  Quack, quack!  The Ducks won 44 to 10.  Yea!

Friday, November 21, 2014

November 21, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


Jim came this morning.  After visiting for a few minutes, he and I went on a “sculpture picture-taking excursion.”  On the way to the area we wanted to photograph, we decided lunch should be the first thing on our list.

We went to Karl’s Jr.  After eating, we sat there for a long time talking.  Two hours later, we decided we needed to get on the picture-taking trail while there was still good light.

The Dairy Queen has several sculptures at the edge of their parking lot.  Some of them are permanent exhibits, but others are there temporarily until they can be shipped to their final destination.

This sculpture is in the outdoor eating area of the Dairy Queen in Loveland.

Jim and Peggy came for dinner.  Meredith made a vegetable casserole and brought marinated steak to be grilled.  Michelle had salmon to be grilled, also.  She had made rolls, and a salad, plus apple crisp for dessert.  We were all very well fed!

Thursday, November 20, 2014

November 20, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


Perhaps I over extended myself yesterday.  Today I was extra tired.

Meredith and the pups came after dinner.  She and Michelle were making peach preserves using the peaches that Michelle put in the freezer this summer.  They also served ice cream with peaches.  Yum, yum!

Some of the family watched the Raiders get their first win of the season...against Kansas City.  Meredith said she couldn’t believe she was wanting Oakland to win.  Their win helped Denver in the standings.

Helping make the peach preserves and cheering the Raiders on must have taken a lot of effort for Joey, Hapa, and Tippy.  They came down to our room and all three rested on our bed.


My brother, Jim, and his wife, Peggy, drove up from Santa Fe today.  They are staying with friends in Fort Collins, but they plan to spend time here in Loveland, too.  We haven’t seen them in a while.  It will be good to catch up on family “happenings.”

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

November 19, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


I must be feeling better because I got up at 7:00 to work on a project.  I brought our supply of alcohol ink from Lori’s.  I am making some necklaces.  I want to leave the ink here and Lori will get it the next time she is here.  It isn’t something I can mail very easily.  So it was necessary for me to use the supplies before we leave next week.

I also did quite a bit of resting today.  My right leg is much better than it has been.  I guess the shot the doctor gave me on Monday is having some good effects.  That’s a relief!

The temperature today got up to 47°.  I didn’t go outside at all, so I can’t tell you if it felt warmer or not.  Sometime, if it is a cloudy day, it will seem colder than it really is.

On their daily walk around Boyd Lake a few days ago, Joey chased a coyote.  It was unusual for it to be out of the den during the day, especially as cold as it has been lately.  Dwaine was very glad that Hapa didn’t see it.  She looks like a coyote, so maybe she saw it and didn’t think it was anything unusual.


Tuesday, November 18, 2014

November 18, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


Today was a busy day for me, and for Bill, too.  He’s my super driver.  

Our first stop was to see my dermatologist.  Tests showed that I had a basal cell carcinoma on the left side of my face.  There were two options (three if you count “do nothing”).  The first one was to surgically remove it.  The second was to scrape and burn it off.  Since it was only in the first layer of cells, that was my choice of options.

The procedure didn’t take very long.  When we are back here in the spring, I will have it checked again, and go from there.

At 4:00 this afternoon, Michelle took me to see the ENT.  The audio test showed that I had a little of the hearing back in my left ear, but not enough to function.  It was so minimal that not even a hearing aid would be successful.  I had another injection of steroids into my inner ear, in case there is any more room for improvement.  Each injection has hurt more than the previous one.  I will have the last one next Wednesday.  I’m really looking forward to that...not!

We went to get pizza for dinner.  Meredith joined us.  Joey and Hapa came, also.  Hapa always claims me.  Tippy doesn’t challenge her authority, but it is a different matter to Joey.  He just pushes his way through to get to me.  It’s so nice to be loved by the furry beasts.

Monday, November 17, 2014

November 17, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


It was 1° this morning, but warmed to 32° by the time the sun went down.  That’s the biggest difference we’ve had in quite awhile.

I rested most of the morning.  The problems I’m having with my right leg just keeps getting worse and worse.  At 1:00, I went to my GP, Dr. Huneycutt.  He gave me a cortisone shot in my right hip.    Hopefully, I will feel some results soon.

Before going back home, we went to Walmart.  I wanted to look for a long sleeved polo like the one I bought in Rapid City a couple of weeks ago.  Today wasn’t the day to do it.  By the time I got into the store, I didn’t feel like shopping, so I sat on a bench while Bill got a few grocery items.  That’s a real bummer...not being able to shop at Walmart.  Things are really going to have to change!!!

Michelle, Bill and I watched “Dancing With The Stars” tonight.  Next week will be the finals.  It has gone by quickly.  Yikes!  Time flies when you’re having fun!

Sunday, November 16, 2014

November 16, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO


Br-r-r-r!  1° this morning.  But the temperature got warmer as the day went on...29°...a heat wave.

At 11:00, we went to Meredith and Dwaine’s to watch the Denver Bronco game against St. Louis.  I’m sad to report that Denver lost.  (Sigh!)  Too many dropped balls and too many penalties made it sad for us Bronco fans.

Meredith served a delicious quiche for lunch.  I was very impressed.  I’ve never made one and hers was really good.  We also had pan fried potatoes.  A good meal and a disastrous football game!

We stayed afterwards to watch the NASCAR race from Homestead, Florida.  It was the last race of this season.  Kevin Harvick won the championship.  He wasn’t my choice, but he did redeem himself.  He had his little boy (about 18 months old) in the winner’s circle.  It is always special to me when the drivers have their kids at the track.

The next few days are suppose to gradually get warmer.  That’s all right with everyone around here!

Saturday, November 15, 2014

November 15, 2014---Michelle’s, Loveland, CO

Hapa likes the snow...Joey was resting after...


...playing, "Hide the ball in the snow" and see if you can find it.

Snow was falling when we got up this morning...big, fluffy flakes.  The high today was to be 23°.  The highest temperature we saw was 15°.

The dogs love playing in the snow.  Tippy likes trying to bite the snow thrown from the snow shovel.  It showed off his agility.

I stayed in the “Geezer Cave” getting some extra rest.  It was mid afternoon before I climbed the stairs.  My right leg has been hurting more lately and I thought it might help if I stayed off it more today.

Michelle and I went to have dinner with Meredith and Dwaine.  They had cheese fondue and salad.  Meredith talked about fondue traditions when she lived in Switzerland.

It was 12° when we got back home.  But the snow had stopped falling.


Friday, November 14, 2014

November 14, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO

This was from several days ago.  The total for the day was seven or eight inches.


Meredith and Dwaine's backyard, just after the snow started to fall.

This is where Bill wishes he could be!
No snow today and a little warmer.

Bill and I went out to RV America to see our “house.”  The body work has been finished, and the primer is on.  The new step hasn’t arrived yet.  The painting can’t be done until the step is installed.  It will need to be painted, also.

We made a couple of other stops before going to Wendy’s for lunch.  Afterwards, we spent some time looking for a Bank of America, only to learn later that there isn’t one in Loveland.

Meredith and Dwaine came to eat with us.  Bill and I went to KFC for dinner, with all the fixins’, including a chocolate cake.  I don’t think any of us went away from the table hungry.

The temperature tonight is predicated to get down to 15°.  Wow!  We’re having a heat wave!

Thursday, November 13, 2014

November 13, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


I know I promised snow pictures, but once again I couldn't make it happen.  UGH!  I will try again tomorrow.

I think -6° was the morning low.  We didn’t have anymore snow today.  Our total was 7”.

I worked on a project for several hours today.  Tippy was helping. He wanted outside, but it was so cold he wanted back in.  This routine went on all day long.  He loves being out in the yard, but the conditions weren’t good for outdoor activities.

Tonight may be even colder!


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

November 12, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


Today was a busy, cold, snowy day here in Loveland, Colorado.

I had an MR. at 9:00 this morning.  It took over an hour.  Even with earplugs and foam blocks of noise protection material for each side, it was still a very noisy test.  For my right ear, that is.  I heard no sound with my left ear.

Before going back home, we drove north on I-25 to the new Costco.  There were several things we needed, including Polish hot dogs for an early lunch.

The drive on the Interstate was OK, but a little slow.  We saw a number of cars off in the ditches.  Some were just fender benders, but several had major damage.

When we got back home we took naps until my phone rang.  My tests were back from the dermatologist.  I have a basal cell carcinoma which must be removed.  Oh, great!  Just what I needed...another appointment!

On the way back to Michelle’s, I went by the beauty shop to make an appointment for a permanent.  It was a slow day because of the weather, so I was able to get it done today.  By the time we got home, I was really tired, so I rested and visited with Michelle while she fixed dinner...soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.  Great for a cold snowy day.

The high today was 7°.  The snow measured 4” early this morning and continued to fall.  Tomorrow, I will send pictures! 

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

November 11, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


I went to the doctor at 10:00 this morning for another shot through my eardrum.  This one hurt more than the first two did.  Hopefully, this will be the end of the “torture.”  I see the audiologist next week to see if there are any changes in my hearing.

When we left the house, snow was falling and it was 16°.  As Bill helped me into the car, he brushed the accumulated snow of the side window.  I was immediately covered with white fluffy snowflakes.  Hm-m-m!  I wonder if he was trying to send me a message...I like snow and he doesn’t, so he made sure I was more “flakey” than he was.

We went to Meredith and Dwaine’s for dinner.  It was a great day for beef stew.  Really good beef stew!  When we left for home, the temperature 11° and it was snowing hard.  The streets that were clear when we went to dinner were snow covered when we drove home. 

At the time of posting my blog, it was 9°...br-r-r-r-r-r!

Monday, November 10, 2014

November 10, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


At 7:30, Bill pulled the motorhome out and headed for the repair shop.  I followed in the Honda.  After checking it in, we said farewell to our house (sniff, sniff) and went to McDonald’s for breakfast.

Across the street was US Bank. When we went in to the bank, the temperature was 63°.  When we left, 20 minutes later, there was a strong wind blowing.  By the time we got back home, the temp had dropped to 46° and was still dropping.

I was tired and lay down to rest.  At 10:00, Meredith sent a text saying it was snowing.  Of course, I had to get up to look out the window.  Sure enough, snow was falling...not much, but some!

I took a long nap and felt much better afterwards.  I started putting our belongings away.  We are staying in the extra bedroom in the basement.  We have named it the “Geezer Cave.”  It will be our cozy little spot as long as the motorhome is in “sick bay.”

The snow stopped falling, but the temperature didn’t.  It was 18° at bedtime.  Br-r-r-r-r!

Sunday, November 9, 2014

November 9, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


Tomorrow morning, we take the coach to RV America to have repairs made after our “incident” in Death Valley.  We are to have it there by 8:00.

Today, we spent most of the time moving things into Michelle’s house.  We will stay there until the repairs are finished.  Our plans were to stay in the motorhome at night and let the workers take it back into the shop every morning.

We changed those plans because of weather reports.  The prediction is for some snow, but our major concern was the low temperatures in the next week.  All of you know how much Bill and I like staying in the MH, but it didn’t seem the wise thing to do in this situation.

We watched the NASCAR race from Phoenix as we were working.  Jeff didn’t make it to the championship round.  Darn!  Well, there’s always next year.

We also watched parts of the Bronco game against the Raiders.  After a rather shaky beginning to the game, Denver pulled out all the stops and did a number on Oakland.  That is a rivalry that dates way, way back for us.  We were glad to see the Raiders trounced.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

November 8, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


Meredith and I went to the Library this morning.  The pups went along for the ride, but didn’t go into the book place with us.  They sat in the car and behaved themselves...we think!

I went home with Meredith.  I spent the time talking to the dogs, reading and napping.  It was very relaxing.

When I got back home, I took another nap.  Yikes!  I am really in need of sleep.

Tonight we watched Oregon whip up on Utah.  The first three quarters of the game were fairly close and then Oregon took off.  Final score...51-27.  It was nearly midnight here when the game was over.  I called Brent to cheer.  Bill, in a gruff voice, asked why I called him so late.  I knew he would be up.  There was too much excitement in the air to sleep.

We keep hearing weather reports predicting snow.  So far, no flakes...except Bill!


Friday, November 7, 2014

November 7, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO









 Today was not a busy day for me.  There isn’t much to report so... it is finally Willie’s turn to be introduced.  Brent would say I saved the best for last.  Willie is certainly the biggest, without a doubt.  

During Brent’s active Air Force career, he lived in apartments most of the time.  He said when he bought a house with a fenced yard he wanted to get a dog.  Well, he did and he did.

He wanted a big dog...a man-sized dog.  He saw an ad for Golden Retriever puppies.  He picked the one with the biggest feet.  When Coleson and Sara got out of school that afternoon, the three of them went to pick the puppy up.  

There was a discussion about a name.  Someone suggested “Fluffy,” because at the time the puppy was very fluffy.  Wisely, Brent said that might not be appropriate when he was grown.  The next suggestion was “Willie.”  Brent thought he could live with that one, so “Willie” it was.  Now Brent can’t imagine him being named anything else.

Willie was immediately the hit of the family.  Brent and Coleson played with him and Sara wanted to “mother” him.  She played dress up with him and when it was naptime she made sure he was well taken care of.  Once, when he was much bigger, she stuffed him into one of her t-shirts.  Willie survived, but the t-shirt didn’t.

Soon, Willie was big enough for the kids to ride.  However, Coleson soon got too big, but Sara was able to continue for awhile.  He thinks everyone in the neighborhood loves him.  And you know what, they do!

Several time, Brent, the kids, and the dog have traveled with us in the motorhome.  We have camped out in the Fort Walton Beach area, and in Pennsicola,  staying at military Famcamps.  One time, they all joined us for a trip to Colorado.  It was always fun.  Willie rides looking from the front to the back.  If he is on the bed, he looks toward the front.  One time, I was asleep on the bed and Willie was in front.  When he saw me wake up, he was on a dead run to see me, with Brent in hot pursuit.  When Willie got to the shower, he launched himself.  I curled myself into a ball just before he landed beside me.  He was so happy to see me, and the feeling was mutual.

On our way to Colorado, we stopped in Amarillo, TX on Brent’s birthday.  The kids wanted to take him to the Big Texan Steak House for an evening celebration.  Bill said he would stay in the motorhome with Willie.  We had lots of leftovers to take to Bill.  He sat on the sofa and put his plate down to go outside for a minute.  When he came back in, he ask me what I did with his dinner.  I hadn’t done anything with it, but there sat his plate, empty and very clean.  He was disgruntled to say the least, and made himself a peanut butter sandwich.  Before he could start eating, he remembered something else he needed to do, and set his plate down again.  You talk about a slow learner!  I caught Willie just as he started on his next course.  In defense of Willie, Brent had forgotten to feed Willie his mid day meal and it was nearly time for his evening meal.  That big dog was hungry!  I thought it was funny, but it took some time for Bill to see the humor.

Willie has always had a fondness for socks.  When he was younger, and somewhat smaller, Sara would stick her hand down his throat and retrieve his treasure.  Last spring, when Bill and I arrived in Mississippi, it was cool and earlier, I had been wearing fuzzy socks to keep my feet warn.  When we opened the MH door, Willie bounded in and back back out in three seconds...with a black, fuzzy sock in his mouth.  Brent thought that was really funny...and so did I.

Brent loves his “big man dog,” but if you ask him what Willie likes, Brent’s voice softens and he says, “Snowflakes, butterflies, and blowing leaves.”  Yup!  He’s a man’s dog!!!

Willie has grown into a very handsome dog.  He is hard to take a picture of because, when he is in his Golden Retriever stance and notices he is being photographed, he gets wiggly and frisky and lopes toward the camera.  Kodak moment lost!

I have many more pictures, but I still have limited skills when wanting to send them in my blog.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

November 6, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


My doctor’s appointment today was at 11:00 with my dermotologist.  She froze several places and did a bioposy on a place on the left side of my face.

I had wanted to check in with the woman who gives me permanents.  I went in today for a shampoo and set.  She did a really good job.  I plan to get a “temporary” within the next two weeks.  That should take care of my hair until at least Quartzsite or Yuma.

When I was finished with the beauty shop, we went to McDonald’s for a late lunch.  Our errands today included a stop at Jax Sporting Goods and Farm Store, back out to RV America for some more information, and a couple of other stops before going back home.

Meredith and Dwaine invited us for dinner.  We had meatloaf, baked potatoes, salad, pumpkin pie, and carrot cake.  It was a delicious feast, with time to visit afterwards.

Earlier in the day, Bill got boxes from the cabinets above the bed.  That is where I store out-of-season clothes.  After returning home from Meredith and Dwaine’s, I finished getting out winter things and packed away summer clothes.  It had to be finished before we could call it quits for the night.  There was no way to get into bed with a mountain of clothes piled on the bed.

People in Colorado are sure God is a Bronco fan...orange and blue sunsets.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

November 5, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


It was really cold this morning, but warmed up as the day went on.

Bill and I went to RV America, south on I-25 a few miles.  We were there to make an appointment for the motorhome repairs.  We will take it on Monday at 8:00, and will be there when they pull it out for the night at 5:00.  We’ll be able to stay in it at night, except when it is in the paint booth.  It might take two weeks to finish the job, but we hope they will get it finished faster.

On the way home, we stopped at Walmart for a few groceries and our prescriptions.  I got very tired and went to sit in McDonald’s and drink a Diet Dr. Pepper while Bill finished shopping.  When he had gone through the checkout place, he came to fetch me.  We had another place to go, but decided to leave it until tomorrow.

After lunch, I made an appointment for an MRI next Wednesday.  There was a lab test I needed before then, so I went back to the ear doctor with the results of my lab work done by Dr. Huneycutt last week.  The nurse said I had already had that test, and called the MRI place to see if I was good to go.  And I was!  Yippy, Skippy!  One less needle!

This afternoon, I ask Michelle if I could give Tippy (also known as Max) some dog biscuits.  They were on the top shelf of the pantry.  As soon as he saw the box, he ran to his dog cage, went in, and turned around to wait to be served.  I threw the treats in on his blanket.  They were gone in a flash!  What a dog!

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

November 4, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


I went to Dr Wold this morning for my second steroid shot into my left ear drum.  It seemed to be more painful than the one last week, but maybe my memory has faded in the past seven days.  I have my last one next week, so we’ll see how that one goes.

While I was having “so much fun” with he ENT doctor, Bill was going on “honey do” errands for me.  He took my list of prescription to Dr. Huneycutt’s office before taking some donations to Habitat.   He also went in search of a special sized rivet to make a repair on the MH slide.  

Our last stop was at Taco Bell for a take-home lunch.  While we were eating our burritos, we watched an episode of Maverick.  That has become a daily ritual for Cowboy Bill.  James Garner was one of his favorites and still is in reruns.

The motorhome needed to go to the repair shop for an estimate.  While Super Driver did that I stayed at Michelle’s and took a nap.  I was awakened by a wet nose on my cheek...Max, not Bill!

When I went back out to the motorhome, Bill was on the phone with my brother, Jim, trying to set up a Country Coach Owners account for Jim.  You talk about “the blind leading the blind.”  We referred Jim to Lori, who set us Bill’s Country Coach Owners account on the internet.  Yahoo wasn’t cooperating and it took her over an hour to get Jim on line.  Thanks for the help, Lori.

Meredith, Joey, and Hapa came for a visit.  They had playtime with Max.

During dinner, Lori and Jim both called.  All is working well, as far as I know.

Monday, November 3, 2014

November 3, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


Today was colder than before.  We had rain most of the night.  By noon, the temperature had dropped a little, and a light rain was still falling.  I was really disappointed that none of it turned into snow.  Bill shamed me and said he might have to wash my mouth out with chocolate.  Oh, boy!  

Bill and I did some running around today.  Walmart was first on our list.  We needed to check on some prescriptions so we weren’t there very long.

After a trip to the Library to turn in books for Michelle and me, we went by City Hall to drop off a payment for Michelle.

And then it was by Dr. Huneycutt’s office to see about our Rxs for next year.  I need to take a list of what we need.  I did a “brain fade” and couldn’t remember which meds I was taking.

On the way back home, we made a stop at Dollar Tree.

I helped Michelle with a project, but other than that, I didn’t accomplish very much today. 

Sunday, November 2, 2014

November 2, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


Michelle made cinnamon rolls for breakfast.  Yum. yum!  With happy tummies, she and I made a midmorning trip to JoAnn Fabrics.  She is working on a project and needed some fabric.  By the time we got back in the car, I wasn’t feel well.

When Michelle went into Walmart for some groceries, I stayed in the car.  She wasn’t gone very long, but I went to sleep.  When we got back home, I continued my nap.

We ate lunch and watched the NASCAR race from Texas.  It was a long race and there were way too many cautions.  There are only two races left in this season.  Then we have a long dry spell until late in February.

Michelle made a big pot of chili.  Meredith, Dwaine, and the pups came and we ate while we watched the Denver football game.  I am sad to say the Patriots whipped up on the Bronco.  It was really disappointing!

Saturday, November 1, 2014

November 1, 2014---Michelle’s in Loveland, CO


It was 37° this morning with frost on the roof.  November has arrived.  Next it’s turkey time, then jingle bells, and before we know it, 2015 will arrive!  Yikes!

The temperature didn’t get up as high as we thought it would.  The highest I saw was 60°.  Bill had wanted to do something or other to the roof, but needed a high of at least 70°  I would say he wasn’t too disappointed about the delay, but he really does want to get a coat or two of “Zep” on before the weather deteriorates.

Michelle went to Lafayette, south of here, to get a futon.  Bill went along to help.  They did a quick turnaround, because something very important was happening at 5:30...the Ducks were playing Stanford.

The travelers returned home just as the game started.  Oregon played a good game and came out victorious, 45-16.  It was a good game, but I’d imagine the Stanford fans would disagree.

I was wearing my Oregon Duck shirt.  Tomorrow, it’s Bronco Time!!!