April 30, 2013

April 30, 2013

It was cold this morning when we got up, and the temperature didn’t get much higher as the day went on.

Bill did some errands this morning, and Michelle went a couple of places this afternoon, but I stayed home all day.

I have a long list of things to do while I’m here in Loveland, but nothing got marked off today.  Bill has a list, also.  I think he made some progress.  I’ll have to get busy or people around here might get the idea that I’m a lazy bum.  I am!  I just don’t want others to know.

Michelle made a quilt for Matthew, but it needs the binding put around the edge.  That’s a job that I can do for her.  It won’t be hard, but it will take some time.

At dinnertime tonight, it started raining.  It wasn’t fiddling around about it.  The rain was really coming down.  And the temperature was dropping.  The weather channel predicted snow for tomorrow.  I’m voting for it, but Bill is voting no!  I hope I win!

April 29, 2013

This morning, when we left Walmart at 8:30, we drove west for seven miles to the Wildlife Museum.  There was a Geocache Adventure Maze set up on the second floor.  The purpose of the exhibit is to introduce people to geocaching, using GPSs, and things like that.  Although the event had a GC number to register the find, it was mainly for “newbies.”

As I was entering the museum area, a little cottontail rabbit hopped across in front of me.  Then, as I came out by another door, it hopped back across my path.  I peeked around the corner of the building and there the bunny sat, being very still.  I took a picture.  Both times I saw the rabbit there were other people around.  He must be use to people in his “yard.”

As we drove through Denver on I-25, we were in the middle lane.  A utility trailer hauling concrete blocks blew a tire.  We heard a very loud noise and pieces of tire came flying at us.  That was a new experience for us...one we don’t want to be involved in again.

As soon as we got to Michelle’s house, she and I went to get Joey and Hapa.  Dwaine had an appointment, so we got to bring the pups to Michelle’s for the afternoon.

Everyone met at Michelle’s for dinner.  Ron grilled hamburgers and Michelle prepared the slaw and baked beans.  Oh, yes!  We had French fries, too.  It was fun to all sit around their table together.  Just wish the rest of the family was here.

Today’s Travel Totals:  Mileage, 76---Geocaches, 1---Critter sightings, 1 cottontail rabbit.

April 28, 2013

We didn’t leave Lamar until after 9:00.  We had a relaxing morning, watching  an episode of The Lawman while we were eating breakfast and then changing to the Weather Channel.  It showed all of Mississippi being in rain today. 

I remarked that the only weather concerns we have had were the morning we left Brent’s.  By the time we went through Vicksburg the rain had stopped.  It has been dry since then.  Bill’s comment was “Mother Nature is waiting for us in Loveland.”  Their forecast is for snow on Wednesday.

We stopped in the small town of Kit Carson, Colorado.  We found four caches before Bill decided it was nap time.  When he finished “inspecting the insides of his eyelids”  we ate lunch, then got back on the trail.

We stopped at Flying J in Limon for fuel, propane, and to dump the holding tanks.  With that expensive task out of the way, we took I-70 west for several miles before turning onto Hwy. 86.  On the map it looked like a shortcut to Parker, our destination for today.

Let me fill you in on shortcuts to save fuel.  This one didn’t work out that way.  We went up hills and down hills, the highest being 6,600 feet.  

The road went through ranch land and forests.  We saw lots of horse and cattle ranches.  We were even treated to a family of small prairie dogs scurrying to safety by the side of the road.  It was a pretty drive, but hard on Bill. 

Today’s Travel Totals:  Mileage, 187---Geocaches, 4---Critters sightings, prairie dogs.

April 27, 2013

We left Amarillo at 7:30 this morning.  To get to Hwy. 287 we had to go through downtown Amarillo.  Add road construction to that and you can imagine how long it took us to get out onto open road.

Soon after crossing into Oklahoma (Honk, honk! Yahoo!) we saw  our first wildlife...antelope.  There were seven of them, standing not too far off the road.  Two of them were very tiny.  I’d guess that’s the spring crop. 

Before long, we did our state line routine for Colorado.  The first town was Campo in the Comanche National Grasslands.  As we drove into the tiny town I saw a flock of prairie chickens.

We parked at Walmart in Lamar in time to find a couple of geocaches.   One of them we had looked for the last time we were here.  Two others avoided us completely.

We spent the evening watching the NASCAR race.

Today’s Travel Totals:  Mileage, 218--Critter Sightings, antelope and prairie chickens--Geocaches, 2.

April 26, 2013

Bill started today’s journey early this morning.  I slept until 7:30 and then rode in the front seat, wrapped in a blanket like Squaw Woman.

The countryside was flat with oil wells, wind generators, cattle, and not much else.  The farmers were growing winter wheat, so the landscape was very green.

We stopped at a Rest Area to empty our trash.  The sign at the entrance cautioned us to “watch for rattlesnakes.”  Squaw Woman stayed in the motorhome while Brave Bill went to the dumpster.

We had lunch at a Rest Area west of Memphis.  No, we aren’t in Tennessee.  We’re still in Texas.  And, yes, there was a rattlesnake warning, also.

We parked at the Amarillo Walmart for the night.

Mileage for today, 300

April 25, 2013

April 25, 2013

Bill was behind the wheel at 6:15 this morning, heading for Texas.  I was snuggled in bed getting a few extra z-z-z-zs.  I heard him honk the air horns as we went across the Texas state line.  I gave a half-hearted “yahoo” from the back of the coach, but he didn’t hear me.

In Longview, we stopped for breakfast and to fuel the MH.  Soon we were back on the road toward the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.  We could hear In-N-Out calling our name!

Today was the opening day of the Bush Library in Dallas.  There were five presidents coming for the occasion.  It makes me wonder...how many gallons of fuel does it take to get Air Force One off the ground.  According to my Air Force source (who shall remain nameless in case this computer is being hacked into) it takes 1,000 gallons of fuel to get a fighter jet in the air.  It must take a whole lot more for AF1 to get the President aloft.

I would say if planes flew on hot air, there’s enough of that in Washington, DC to fly every plane in the country, but you might say I was rude.  Or there might be those who might say I was overly honest.  Whatever!  I also wonder if “everyone” has to stand in a long line because air traffic controllers are being furloughed.  My grandmother would have said “what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander,” which translates to “everyone should be treated equally.”  Somehow, I don’t think that applies to these five ganders.

Michelle called to see if there were going to be road closures because of a Presidential visit.  I-25 has been closed in Denver twice because of that.

Well, we got to In-N-Out with no problem.  Yea!!!

Traffic wasn’t too much of a problem except in the downtown area of Ft. Worth and then it was a bit dicey.  Soon we were at Walmart in Decatur.    There was one cache in the parking lot.  That was it for the day!

Travel totals:  Mileage for today, 298--Geocaches, 1.

April 24, 2013

It was raining hard this morning so we delayed our departure.  By 10:30 the rain had let up considerably, so Brent helped Bill hook the Honda on, we said our goodbyes and headed West.

By the time we got onto I-20 the rain was really pouring down, but had quit just before we got to Vicksburg.  It was noon when we crossed the Mississippi River into Louisiana (Honk, honk! Yahoo!).  The river was very full, but not to flood stage yet, it didn’t seem.

We stopped at the Sam’s Club in Monroe for a few supplies.  My card wouldn’t work so I went out empty handed.  That’s the most economical trip I’ve ever had to Sam’s.

We drove on to Minden and parked at Walmart.  On the way in to shop we found a cache not very far from the motohome.  That’s our second for today.

Today’s Travel Totals:  Mileage, 205---Caches found, 2.