Bob and Dev's Life is a Highway

HELLO, HELLO, HELLO

2011-10-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's hard to know where to begin! My last post was over five months ago and little did I know it would be my last for a while. The problem was our internet connection in the Adirondacks being almost nonexistent! My aircard was very unreliable and dial-up speed was the best it could do there. But I must tell you, we had the BEST summer ever! We fell in love with the Adirondacks all over again. Bob and I had forgotten just how majestic the forests and lakes are up there. There is quite alot to see and do and we only scratched the surface.

The other component of this lifestyle is the workamping. Until Kayuta Lake Campground we had been involved with the US Army Corps of Engineers only. This was our first private campground and so we were a bit apprehensive as to how we would like it. Well, any misgivings we might have had completely disappearred as the summer advanced. Mike and Karin welcomed us in a big way as did the "seasonals", a friendly camping community which we are now a part of!

Bob was a part of the "crack" maintenance staff and I joined the office/general store/snack bar/coffeehouse group! I really had wanted to work outside for the benefit of exercize plus the sheer joy of being able to work outside!! But when it rained every day from April 28 through June 20th, I got over it real quick. Once the rain quit, the temps were dee-lite-ful. Most of the days the highs were below 85 degrees and the lows in the 50-60 degree range. Great sleeping without the A/C.

One of the aspects of Kayuta Lake Campground that we love is the "seasonal community". There are 165 sites and 89 of them are campers who lease a specific site from May through October 15. (Thus, the name "seasonal") You can form friendships with people this way, a part of the fulltimer's life that is missing when you are on the road.

Well, I could go on and on about Kayuta Lake Campground, how beautiful it is, how much fun it is to camp there and to even work there but I am beginning to sound like a commercial! Suffice it to say that I will be writing a lot more about KLC (with pictures) in the coming weeks. I have a lot to catch you up on and I will fill you in on it all!

BTW, you can see our beautiful park's website kayutalakecampground.com

Wondering where we are now?????? If you were paying attention last winter, you might know. It was in the blog. (but how pompous am I to think that anyone might care enough to remember??? Except for my Mom! Or to think that people are reading this at all??? Except for Mom)

Former train depot, Forestport, NY

"H10" Our site at KLC !

Bald Mountain, Old Forge, NY

IN THE SPRING!

2011-04-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

I've borrowed the title of a song my Papa wrote many years ago and it is very fitting for our last month of travels! We left Texas in late March, having spent the last 4 weeks there in definite springtime weather. Temps were getting very warm and the countryside was a patchwork of different hues of green and the yellow pollen was flying. We arrived in Arkansas to chillier temps and the trees were just barely budding but by the time we left there two weeks later the dogwoods were blooming, the Bradford pears were coming along and spring had arrived. We traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, and winter was on its way out the door. No buds on the trees, pretty dreary the first two days but warm enough on the third day to take in the zoo! Then we were on a mission to get to "our" new campground, Kayuta Lake Campground in Forestport, NY, a portal to the Adirondacks.

We were scheduled to start working on April 20, hoping to be all set up with the rig by then. But Mother Nature had other plans! Mike and Karin, the campground owners, suggested we stay south and west of where they are for a while longer! It has been so cold there they are unable to turn the water on to the campsites and the permafrost is still making it impossible to put the rig on site. April 16th found them having blizzard type snowfall but thank goodness not sticking. The winds were 40 MPH and they lost many trees, 30 total for this winter. So we followed their advice and visited with Aunt Charm and Uncle George for a few days and then headed to a KOA in Canadaigua, NY. We have been here at the KOA for a week and are a little stir crazy! It's been bitter cold, we've seen snow flying and there has been no end of rain. The KOA is beautiful but alot of it is under water right now! We had 4 hours of sunshine today and actually got to sit outside. And we noticed the trees have tiny little buds coming out and in the distance the countryside is taking on a green cast. Spring is almost here! So Bob and I have lived through the onset of spring for many months now!! Kind of weird to experience.....

We are heading to our new digs tomorrow morning. We're going to park on pavement and just set up enough to get by until we can permanently settle in. We've been invited to Easter dinner at Karin and Mike's and we're looking forward to getting to know them and start work!

Our granddaughter Taylor, at the Cleveland Zoo

Daughter Alex

Uncle George, Aunt Charm, Pugsy and Lucie!

Bob's boyhood home in Syracuse, NY. The two trees were planted by his Dad as saplings!

TIDBITS ON LIFE IN TEXAS

2011-03-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

Our time here is drawing to a close. The six months have gone by incredibly fast as we knew they would! We are heading for Arkansas to conduct some business, maintain the RV, car, truck and Harleys and if we can still afford it, head for the Adirondacks of New York. We have a summer gig there and are looking forward to seeing Bob's Aunt Charm and Uncle George and his late brother Warren's daughters. In preparing for our trip, we've been watching the weather up that way and it is COLD there. We are used to temps in the 80's here in Texas so we will be pulling out the woolies from storage before we head north. On the way, we will stop in Cleveland, Ohio, to see Bob's daughter Alex and granddaughter Taylor.

I've been saving some photos to post from our roaming the Hill Country. We feel so fortunate to have been able to explore this area of the United States and look forward to coming back next winter as there is plenty we didn't get to see!
The first two photos are looking down at our campground from about a mile away. You can see the modernization from primitive to RV sites has not been done yet. It is so beautiful and has been a wonderful place to live. We've been using it as our walking track and are up to 2 miles a day. (The boats you see are not part of our park)

Picnic table shelters in our campground

Three of our closest friends came for dinner and we had to put Lucie in the RV!

Famous Luckenbach, Texas, behind the old Post Office where the only thing that gets canceled nowadays are the musical acts!

The ATM in Luckenbach where you can get your "dirty" money and you may need it after paying for the beer! They are proud of their beer, $3.50 for domestic, $4.50 imported.

You can tell this butterfly was in Texas. That is my watch sitting next to it, not my ring!

And then there is Bob, a man who wears many hats!

Riding in the Hill Country of Texas

2011-01-31T12:54:00.000-08:00

Bob and I have been riding as much as we can. Recently we toured the LBJ Ranch at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park located between Fredericksburg and Johnson City. I enjoyed seeing this working ranch much more than I thought I would. When LBJ decided to donate part of his land, the stipulation was that the National Park Service maintain cattle and manage the ranch lands as a living demonstration of ranching the LBJ way. He did not want it to be a "sterile relic from the past". It was a car tour, guided by a CD pointing out the different buildings. Since there are a herd of Herefords on the land, they have the right-of-way. You can see the landing strip that Air Force One used when LBJ returned to the "Texas Whitehouse" and a smaller plane still hangered there which he used when he was in a hurry. We took a tour of the Texas Whitehouse which was very interesting. LBJ had a penchant for having telephones every where so he could keep in constant contact with those that needed him. There even was a phone on a shelf under the dining room table, right beside where he sat. It is said that Lady Bird thought he was extremely rude to speak at the table during dinner with guests but it did little to discourage him. He would have loved the cell phone!

The family cars are also housed there. There was a '63 Corvette given to one of the daughters when she graduated. Upon becoming pregnant, LBJ said it was not right to have her drive that car as she was going to be a mother and bought her something proper. (can't remember what ) The grandson still comes down from Austin periodically to take that corvette out for a spin. In fact, the day we were there, we missed him by a few hours. He flew in by helicopter just to drive the car!

Although, I was verrry young when LBJ was in office, I was an an adult but it still surprised me how antiquated everything looked. I realized I am that old!

WINTER IN TEXAS

2011-01-31T11:56:00.000-08:00

This has been the warmest winter either of us has ever spent! We feel so fortunate to be able to choose where to spend the next season! We have been riding the harleys whenever we can and exploring the area. More about that later.

We spent New Year's Eve with our partners, Don and Mary. First, we sat around the campfire telling lies and stories! Between the two of us, Mary and I made enough food to feed the neighboring town! They taught us how to play "Pegs and Jokers" and we taught them how to play "Up and Down the River". There was a little imbibing going on with the eating and playing and we all stayed awake long enough to watch the "ball" usher in the New Year in Times Square.

Lucie has playmates here as Don and Mary have two adorable four-legged kids, Max and Mindy. They are brother and sister and are very good about putting up with Lucie's energetic craziness. We are able to let the dogs run around our campers since we are not open (still) and they have a great time. They are really going to freak when we have to leash them and curtail their freedom.

So life here in the Hill Country is GOOD! We are very grateful to have partners that are so compatible with us. This would be a miserable situation if we didn't like the people we work with especially since we don't see many others to talk to! As you can see, Don is the proverbial kidder. He said he was going to dress for our celebration and he did!

The update on the ongoing renovations to the campground is not good. Permits are stalling the work and we hope the electric company will be coming in this work to start placing poles. We are only two months away from leaving here and it doesn't look like we will see the park in its modern state until we come back in September for our option year.

Christmas Photos

2010-12-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

Its been a wonderful three months here at Canyon Lake and we are half way through our contract. We attended the local Christmas Parade and it was a lot of fun. Bob indulged me and decorated the gatehouse for Christmas and took me out to see the lights in Windcrest, Tx, a suburb of San Antonio.

Windcrest is known for lighting up the entire town. Neighborhoods get together and some even have themes. Businesses get involved as well. The city decorates the water tower as a giant candle! The fire department hands out maps and a list of the award winners in each category. It was quite the sight.

River Walk in San Antonio is beautiful all year but especially so at Christmas. Unfortunately, we picked the wrong night to go down there. It was warm Monday so we headed out. Didn't realize that the Alamo Bowl was to be played Wed evening between Oklahoma State and Arizona. Many of the festivities are either just for players and their families or so expensive that the average person can't afford to go. But on Monday evening, down at River Walk, they had pep rallies, brass bands, etc. and everything was free! Well, it was not the night to view the lights! I got as many photos as I could before the throngs of people showed up! And Oklahoma State won the game last night. Yea!

So, although this is not Bob's favorite time of year, and he is usually feeling Bah, Humbug about now, he was a pretty good sport about it and let me have my fun! I wonder what he is going to expect in return......

VISITING THE SALLEYS!

2010-11-29T16:09:00.001-08:00

We went to Georgetown, Texas to visit friends that used to live in Bentonville. We've known them for 20 years or so and the way we met is rather funny. Bob was riding his Harley through Bentonville one afternoon when this woman motioned for him to pull over. She said that her husband had recently gotten a Harley and had no one to ride with! Well, Bob being the introvert that he is, arranged for Sheri and her husband Doug to come over to our house that evening. When Bob came home and told me the story, I wasn't too thrilled. What kind of woman pulls a complete stranger over and arranges for him to meet her husband??? Unbeknowst to us, Sheri was having a similar conversation with Doug and he was as "thrilled" about it as I.

Well, that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that has endured all these years! Even more interesting, Doug and his brother Randy were instrumental in getting Bob an interview at Walmart and the rest is history.

Sheri and Doug moved to the Austin area about 4 years ago and we had not seen them since. It was great catching up and seeing the kids. Morgan and Mathew are very bright, charming kids but I expected no less considering their parentage! Lucie had a ball with their two dogs, Maggie and Holly. It was a wonderful visit. We laughed a lot just like we used to and the years of separation seemed to melt away.

PORT ARANSAS PHOTOS

2010-11-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

ROAD TRIP TO THE COAST

2010-11-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

We are really enjoying the RV full-timer's lifestyle now! Recently, we were on our way to Dallas to look at an item for the Harleys. Planned to stay over night and headed out early in the morning. Just before we got on I-35 Northbound, Bob made a call and found that what we wanted was not in stock. No reason to go to Dallas now and since its not one of our favorite places Bob said lets head south on I-35. I looked at a map and noticed we weren't that far away from the shore (about 3 hours) and something printed in a small box near Corpus Christi caught my eye. " 24 Hour Ferry Service-free" I thought sounded intriguing so we headed that way, knowing nothing about where we were going! We hadn't done a spur of the moment road trip in many years, something we did frequently back in the day!

On our way down, we passed miles and miles of windmills for as far as the eye could see. Quite an impressive sight which doesn't show as well in the photo.

The ferry service links the mainland with Port Aransas, Texas. Only way to get over there is the ferry or to come through Corpus and travel through Padre Island, Mustang Island, etc and it takes about an hour or longer to go that way. I questioned why they haven't built a bridge across since it is such a short distance (about a 3 minute ride once you pull away from the dock) and I was told that the ferry is a tradition and that there is not enough land on the Port side to build the approaches for the bridge. Its hard to estimate distance on water but I would say it couldn't be more than a half mile across!

We discovered you can drive your vehicle on the beach, right up to the water's edge if you want to. What a treat that was. We drove for miles along the coast and saw some beautiful scenery. They even have a campground on the beach or you can just pull your rig up wherever you choose and camp for the night. The usual regulations at beaches back east don't apply here! They are very liberal and allow dogs on leashes and campfires at night. It was quite a sight to see the full moon come up over the water on a mostly deserted beach with a few campfires here and there.

We found a place to stay with a deck overlooking the sand dunes and beach and were so taken with the place that we stayed for 3 days! The sunrise was awesome and even Lucie knew we were experiencing something special. She decided to go in the water and body surf. What a riot! She was so energized by it all that she ran in circles, around and around, as far as her leash would allow. She spent many minutes studying the birds, trying to figure out how she could sneak up on them.

We found a bar (I know you all are surprised) named the Salty Dog. One of our favorite bars in Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. had the same name so we thought we would try this one. It was such a upscale pub that they even allowed dogs to come in so Lucie visited her first (and probably only) bar. Of course, we had to wait outside until she came out! ARR, ARR, ARR!

This kind of trip is exactly the reason we chose to go on the road!

And since I cannot, for the life of me figure out how to place images where I want them on my blog, I will publish the rest of the pix on a separate post. Hey, if anyone out there is reading this and knows how to incorporate the images within the text, please let me know!

FRIENDS COME TO VISIT

2010-11-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

We have old friends (long term friends, not "old") who live in Granbury, Texas, and they came to visit with Scruffy, their dog. The day that they arrived was pretty much taken up with going to New Braunfels to pick up Bob's truck. It had been at a collision center for 6 days, getting repaired from the damage done to it when it was hit in the bank parking lot! We were sitting in the truck at the time which was lucky since I'm not sure that the young gal that ran into us would have stuck around. Well, I digress.....

Since they are the first to visit, we didn't have the tour down pat but we did manage to go to Gruene, Texas to see the country's oldest music hall still in operation. Did a little shopping there and a lot of looking at the outlet malls in New Braunfels. I have never seen so many stores in one place! They say people fly in to Austin or San Antonio just to shop there. While Larry and Lin were here, we had some vehicle trouble which caused us to change plans several times.

Larry is by nature an early riser, 4-4:30 AM is his usual wake up time. Since there was no computer in their cabin for him to get on, he had several hours to kill before we were to pick them up for breakfast at nine. We had a specific place for breakfast in mind and it takes about 20 minutes to get there. During the ride, Larry claimed that we must be taking them to Austin, it was taking sooooo long to get there. Well, when the car trouble occurred before we even reached the restaurant, Larry was very patient and didn't say a word. We did eventually get to eat breakfast, although it could have been lunch. Larry only complained two or three times after that! Thanks for being patient, Larry.

We did get to sit around the campfire one night. Don and Mary, our co hosts were able to join us, and it was a perfect evening. We discovered that Fox's Pizza delivery will come out here and their pizza was delicious. Who knew you could get any kind of delivery in the boonies?????

Larry Linda and Bob in Gruene (pronounced Green) Linda took a spin on Bob's Harley

HELLO TEXAS

2010-10-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Canyon Lake, Texas a few days early and we camped at Potter's Creek Campground. It is the only one on the lake that is open all year until our campground's modernization is complete. We met our co-gate attendants who were also camping there. Nicer people you'll never meet (yeah, you, Don and Mary) and they have two dogs for Lucie to play with! We all attended orientation and then came to our campground, Cranes Mill, to get settled in.

Our sites were terribly overgrown with Cedar trees that had grown up around the rigs that had been in place for 10 years. Bob and Don had to become lumberjacks in order to get our fifth wheels in here! And Mary and I hauled the limbs off.

The park is not open now and hasn't been for over a year. They are changing from primitive camping to sites for RVs with water and electric. Stimulus money is being spent to do this and we are hoping that we will open sometime before our contract ends in March, 2011! In the meantime, we sit in the gatehouse, watch TV, read a book, work on our computers (as I am doing now!) or visit with Mary and Don. It is much easier to work the long days here than it was when we started in Georgia. We are used to the 4 days on, 4 days off schedule which really takes some time to adjust to.

The Hill Country of Texas is just as beautiful as they say it is. The sky is so BIG here! And you can see for miles and miles. Or at least thats the way it feels. Canyon Lake is very different than the lakes in Arkansas and Georgia. Since the terrain is rolling hills, most of the shoreline here is a gentle slope. Due to the limestone, it wasn't until recent years that people starting building around the lake. By that time, the Corps of Engineers prohibited any private docks so the view around the lake is clean and unfettered. The only structures at the water's edge are a few marinas, fishing piers and several boat ramps.

The wild life here is abundant. We have about 35-40 deer in our park, some bucks with 6-8 points! The deer are plentiful everywhere in this area and that is no exaggeration. When driving through subdivisions, deer are in the yards. Some are even laying down, like it's their place.This makes for some cautious motorcycle riding for sure.

We have seen many scorpions but they are very tiny. Maybe an inch or two long and reddish brown in color. Tarantulas seem to be out and about around 6-7 PM, at least that is when we've seen them! Big, hairy and scary looking but Mary looked them up and found that they just have a bad rep, they aren't aggressive like some would have you think. I just hope the tarantulas read the same book Mary did!

Last photos of Clark Creek North

2010-10-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

Jerry and Sharon and puppy dog Lisa, our co-hosts at Clark Creek North

Picnic for all the contractors and volunteers who worked for Linda Hartsfield, our ranger

MOVING ON!

2010-09-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we are winding up our contract with the Corps of Engineers here in Georgia. Our campground closes the day after Labor Day which is tomorrow. Wednesday we have "debriefing" and a picnic put on by our ranger. We have worked for Linda for the last 2 years, either in a volunteer capacity or as a contractor. We have certainly enjoyed being here, spending a lot of time with our families, but it is time to move on.

Our next gig is in Texas, between San Antonio and New Braunfels. We were awarded the contract for Crane's Mill Campground on Canyon Lake, another Corps of Engineers project. We were delighted to get this position as we have discovered finding workamper jobs in warm weather places in the winter is a bit harder than summer jobs. There are a lot of workampers wanting the same thing and a lot fewer jobs to be had! Next time I will start looking in April for the following winter.

Our contract in Texas is for six months, October through March, 2011. We are sooooooo looking forward to being able to ride our Harleys this winter. Georgia's last 2 winters have been way too cold for riding and this summer was very hot. We did get some riding in but not as much as we would like!

We have long term friends in the Austin and Dallas areas. We look forward to spending time with each of them! We will be in a new area of the country with lots of stuff to explore. While we have spent a few vacations in San Antonio, we have just scratched the surface of things to see and do there. And we have never seen the Riverwalk at Christmas which I've heard is very beautiful. Then there is the "hill country" part of Texas with great riding roads. So we are very excited about our next adventure!

We will be heading to Bella Vista to do the doctor/dentist appointments and we hope to be set up in Texas by the 25th of September and be running the park by the 1st of October! Stay tuned for updates as they become available.......

"NAUTA CARE"

2010-09-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

The summer is winding down here. These are photos taken on my sister and bro-in-law, Beth and Ron's houseboat.

The little critters are our Lucie and their Skylar with her bathing suit top on! The guy is Bob, in case you don't recognize him. He looks mighty relaxed these days.

Clark Creek North Campground

2010-08-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

These are our views from our RV, overlooking Lake Allatoona.

The end of our summer is almost here and we are winding down. Our contract with the Corps is over Setember 8th and we will be heading home to Arkansas. We are not quite sure where we will go for the fall/winter but we have another month or so to make that decision. We would like to be in our new digs by October 1st wherever that might be! This life takes some adjusting to but it is worth it.

Right now the park is verrrrry slow! We only have one site occupied but that is all due to change.
Labor Day is just around the corner, 2 weeks away, and that should bring a lot of campers to our park. It will be fun to see some of our "regulars" come back so we can say goodbye.

Georgia's HIGH Point

2010-08-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Some of the fun things we've been doing!

Took a trip to Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia. About 4,300 feet above sea level. When I was in my teens we came up here and were allowed to drive your own vehicle to the top, at least that is what I remember! Now you take a shuttle, even let you take small dogs up so Lucie went with us.

Jim & Rita's visit to Georgia

2010-07-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

Jim and Rita visited us in May, 2010
On my sister Beth's houseboat

2010-07-31T12:48:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July, 2010, boat parade as seen from our campground, Clark Creek North, Lake Allatoona, Georgia!

Workamping This Summer

2010-07-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

We are starting our 3rd month of running a campground for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Our park is small, 24 sites and for that we are grateful!

After 5 days of classroom training, Bob and I were put to the test on April 30th, the opening day for Clark Creek North Campground on Lake Allatoona in north Georgia. Our schedule is 4 days on duty, 4 days off. The gatehouse is open and manned (or woman'd) from 7 AM - 10:30 PM. During our first 4 days on, we both stayed in the gatehouse unless one of us was making a round of the park. We soon discovered this was not the way to work it. So we have fine tuned our job sharing, taking 3 hour shifts gives each of us some downtime to clean house or do laundry (Dev) or to take a nap (Bob). Just kidding, Bob usually does the laundry!

As the season progresses and we get busier we may have to spend more time together in the "Box" as I like to call it but so far it is working well for us. We keep in touch with walkie/talkies and either of us can be called into service at a moments notice.

Most of our campers have been very nice and we haven't had any major problems. One night we did get a knock on our door at 11:30 to let someone out of the gate. Not many people have the nerve to ask us to open the gate after hours but if they do we must let them out.

One evening I was in the gatehouse helping someone at the front window and out of the corner of my eye I saw a car zooming past the gatehouse. It wasn't a vehicle I recognized so I sent Bob out to find it and see if they were "legal". As it turned out, he found the car and discovered they were visiting some campers. He explained to the gal that she is supposed to stop at the gatehouse and get a visitor's pass for $4. She told him that she had stopped and I wouldn't look her way so she went on. He sent her up to me to register. When she got to me she threw the $4 at me and said "that Ranger is a jerk" and I proceeded to tell her that he is not a Ranger and that the jerk is my husband! She didn't get the humor in it at all!

Well, I am sure we will have many more stories to tell! Right now I am working on getting my new camera to download some pics to the computer so I can add them to our blog. Its funny, I just got the hang of doing it with the old one and now I have to relearn the process all over again.

On our days off we try to ride the Harleys as much as possible. We went to Dahlonega, about 90 minutes from here. It is an old gold mining town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Very quaint town square where we had lunch and did some shopping.

Friends from back home in Bentonville, Jim and Rita visited us for a few days. It was great seeing them and getting to show off the area. We went to see an exhibit of collector's cars at the High Musuem in Atlanta. We all really enjoyed it but Jim being the car buff that he is had a great time. They were pieces of art and I hope to have pics posted shortly.

Snow on March 2nd in Georgia and More!

2010-03-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

It is time to pack up and head to Arkansas in a week. Where does the time go??? We have wintered in Georgia, probably for the last time. Last winter was cold and broke some records but this year winter records are really being challenged. As I sit here looking out our picture window the snow is falling at a fast clip. Yesterday the temp was 55 and today around 25 degrees. About 1 inch of snow so far with expected accumulation of 2-4 inches by midnight. We are toasty warm though and just fine. Bob's 65Th birthday is in two days and it usually snows where ever we are around that time!

It has been an adventure being here. We have had duck hunters here in the park (illegal) and quad runners (prohibited). Bob's had to call the sheriff for the hunters since they gave him some grief but it was all straightened out in the end. The quad runners were able to give Bob the slip since our CR-V is not really an off road vehicle (I don't care what Honda says!).

One morning, about 2 AM, we got a call on the park phone that the police and Search and Rescue Squad needed entry into the park. They were looking for a woman, about 52 years of age, who had left home on foot just up the road from us. She was allegedly inebriated and an Alzheimer's patient. Since the floods in September and October littered the park with huge trees and limbs and debris washed up from the lake, it really was impossible to do a good search for her in the dark. Thank goodness they found her somewhere else and the search was called off. So it can be real exciting, this life of ours! When dealing with the public, you never know what can happen.

We have spoken to other contractors with the Corps that have been doing this for several years. They say we will be amazed at the situations that arise when running a campground. We should have plenty to write about in the coming months!

We've also had very sad things occur. Our co-volunteers, from Florida, had some ill health. The Mrs. went into the hospital around Christmas with breathing issues and she passed away in January. Her poor husband was barely able to function. Neither one of them had any family and now he is all alone. He stayed here until last week and then headed back to Florida and some friends they had there.

My Dad has been very ill. He was diagnosed with lung cancer last July and the prognosis was not good. He has outlived the doctors estimates and continues to fight the battle. He is living in south Georgia and I have been able to see him several times since we have been here.

My Mom became very sick right before Thanksgiving and was rushed into emergency surgery during the night. Her colon had twisted (something that can happen to people of a certain age) and created infection in her intestines. This quickly turned to gangrene and we would have lost her if they hadn't operated when they did. She was in ICU for 10 days and in a rehab facility for 4 weeks. She is doing spectacularly well and is also fighting the good fight. I come from sturdy stock and I am most proud of both of them!

I am very thankful we are going to be in Georgia through the summer. This will allow me to see all my family a little bit more than I usually do!

So on to Arkansas for doctor visits, etc and then back here in April to start our latest adventure. I am looking forward to searching for our new "location" for the fall and winter months. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination!

What's Next in 2010!!!

2009-12-28T14:44:00.000-08:00

We have decided to take our first "paying" job since being on the road. Until now, we have been "volunteers" for the Corps of Engineers at Lake Allatoona in Georgia. Volunteers get their site for free in exchange for various duties such as surveillance for closed campgrounds or opening and closing gates for boat ramps and Day Use Areas. Campground "hosts" are required to bid on these jobs and if your bid is accepted you become contractors for the government. This entails a lot of rigmarole since it is the government you are dealing with!

We have started the process of getting our Dun and Bradstreet number as we are considered a business now. After you receive your D&B number, you are ready to register with CCR.gov. All of the information you provide D&B must be exactly how you register with CCR, down to the last dot or dash. I was very careful when talking to the D&B rep, going so far as to spell out our street address. I said "Oak Hills Dr." and he asked me to spell it. I did! "O-A-K- new word H-I-L-L-S Dr." Imagine my surprise when I pulled up our account and our address read "Oak New Word Hills Dr." I was laughing so hard I couldn't tell Bob what was so funny. Talk about doing your job on automatic pilot! Duh!

Well, if we can get all the "stuff" done, pass our background checks and get bonded, we have the positions of campground hosts for Clark Creek North Campground. We chose this park as it is small, only 24 sites. (Some parks have 200 sites) We are just getting our feet wet so we wanted to make it easy on ourselves. We have another couple who will share the duties, 4 days on and 4 days off. The gatehouse must be manned (or woman'ed) from 7 AM to 10;30 PM. The reservation system as well as the check-in process is all computerized which should make it easier. And how hard can it be to register 24 sites? We have camped at some of the other big campgrounds here on the lake and those "hosts" work their tails off! They are so busy they have 4 huge lanes for RVs to line up while waiting to register. We don't want the pressure! Hey, I'm looking forward to the days we are full and I can put my feet up and relax. (If our ranger, Linda, is reading this, I'm only kidding)
We are required to make rounds to ensure all the rules and regulations are being followed and actually have some clout if things are not as they should be. Stay tuned for updates on how it goes.

It may be that we will decide this is not for us but we have to give it a try! The contract is only 4 months, May thru Labor Day, and I figure we can do anything for 4 months. We will be back in Arkansas in March to see the doctors, dentists, etc. and then head back here for training. So we know where and what we will be doing through September 8th, 2010 but after that who knows where our travels will take us?? That is the beauty of this life.

Big City Opportunities

2009-12-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

Being in a large metropolitan area is not our usual environs so we are trying to make the most of all the varied entertainment opportunities that come with the territory. Richard, Bob's brother, turned 60 in November so to celebrate we went with Marion and Richard to see "Cavalia" at Atlantic Station in Midtown Atlanta. Cavalia is an amazing show mixing 60 horses and 40 people on one stage in various acts of revelry including acrobats, aerialists, musicians and dancers. It was created by a co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, Normand Latourelle. It was a magnificent performance as all Cirque performances are with a different spin by adding the horses. You don't have to be a horse lover to enjoy this show. At one point, one of the trainers was on stage with 10 of the horses and to see her put them through their paces was incredible. The communication between her and the steeds was amazing to see as well as the respect she had for them and they for her. You could feel the true affection these gorgeous animals had for their trainer. The energy that runs through out the performance is what you expect from a Cirque show and they don't disappoint with their usual acrobatic maneuvers.
They have a great band for live music and every show is unique in that the band leader adjusts the music to the horse's behavior rather than the other way around! If this show comes to your area, you should consider seeing it.

Sleeping Sisters

2009-10-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

The sleeping beauties here are my sisters, Jodi, on the left and Beth. Beth and I "kidnapped" Jodi and the three of us shared some fun time. We rarely get to do this and it was a special time for us. I woke early to this sight and had to preserve it for future embarassment (like posting it here) and to remind us how wonderful that time together was.

2009-10-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

It has occurred to me that I have only pix of Lucie on our blog and none of the other family members! So to begin, I start with my Mom and Dad. Other family members will follow!

New member of the Johnson Family

2009-10-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

I must introduce you to Lucie, our Jack/Dach. (Jack Russell terrier and Dachshund) We adopted her last February while we were still in Georgia.

As some of you may remember, we re-homed Jeffrey and Buddy to a wonderful family with a fenced yard and 3 kids that can keep up with them. We did this prior to going on the road so when we took the volunteer job last year, it was OK that there were pet restrictions at our park. This year we made sure pets were allowed as there is no doubt Lucie is staying with us!

She is fully grown, about 2-3 years old and weighs about 12 pounds. Perfect for us to take on the back of our harleys which we have done and which she seems to enjoy.

She is very loving and just the best pup ever. Can you tell I'm smitten??

And no, I do not dress her up all the time! But she does love it, she is very cold natured and loves to wear her clothes. And of course she thinks Bob is the greatest and I think the feeling is mutual!

Keep scrolling down, I goofed before publishing this!

Keep scrolling........

New Lease on Life!

2009-10-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Hello to all. It has been 8 months since my last post and it is difficult to know where to start. Rather than go through all the details, I will summarize very briefly the reason for my absence from here.

I was diagnosed with colon cancer in March and had the surgery. If you have to have cancer, this is the best outcome possible. It was only stage 2, no lymph nodes were involved and so I did not need chemo or radiation. How blessed am I!!!!! And I only tell you all this so I can say the following: if you have not had a colonoscopy and you are over 50, run to your doctor now. If I had had my colonoscopy when I should have, we would not be having this discussion. If colon cancer runs in your family, it is even more important. My Grandfather had it in the 1950's but no one remembered it until my diagnosis!

Anyway, we had gone back to Arkansas to see all our doctors, etc so I had the surgery there and we spent the rest of the spring and summer recovering. I am back to normal (or as normal as I've ever been) and ready to get on with our lives.

Bob has been incredible during this very trying time. He was my sole caregiver for quite a few months and my love. Our biggest decision was what to do next with our lives! After much discussion and soul searching, we decided to carry on as originally planned with one exception. We decided to enroll in Cobra for insurance when ours ran out in August. We had planned to take our chances and self insure due to the cost of Cobra but after the surgery bills started coming in we realized it is a bargain compared to the actual cost of health care. So we are good for 18 months and by then there will be options that President Obama is working on right now! I can hear you all laughing but it could happen.........

So we have commenced with the rest of our adventure. We came back to Georgia for the winter and are "volunteering" at Lake Allatoona, Sweetwater Campground in Canton. The campground closed on Labor Day so we are here just for surveillance purposes. We are on duty 4 days and off 4 days. The work days consist of making the rounds of the 151 camp sites. Round trip from our site around the park and back is 5 miles under normal circumstances. Unfortunately most of the park is inaccessible due to the lake spilling over much of the roads and sites. You may have heard of the flooding in Atlanta about 10 days ago. It has been quite an experience and photos will follow. They are predicting a very cold winter here and last year they broke all kinds of records with the temperature so we are bracing ourselves. Our family is petitioning us not to come back for a third winter!

Savannah and Tybee Island

2009-02-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

Live oak trees covered with Spanish Moss

The oldest structure still standing in Savannah

Tybee Island

House in the movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

LIFE'S A BLUR.......

2009-02-09T06:16:00.001-08:00

The time is flying by, each day quicker than the last! Since the holidays, we have been to Savannah, Georgia and Ft. Myers, Florida. We arrived in Savannah in time for the playoff game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Arizona Cardinals. We found our now "favorite" tavern (first time we were ever there) very close to our hotel. The crowd seemed to predominantly favor the Falcons (we were in Georgia, after all!) so we were in good company. As we all know, the Falcons blew it and I nursed a very bad headache from all the cheering and crying I did during the game. No, it was NOT the beer!

This was Bob's first time in Savannah so we did the usual tourist thing and took a trolley ride around the historic and waterfront districts. To say that Savannah is beautiful is an understatement. The live oak trees laden with Spanish moss (which we found out is not a parasite at all and is not harmful to the host trees) drape over every square in the city. Savannah is layed out in a grid with "squares", 22 of them, every 3-4 blocks. Some are the center of a neighborhood for a gathering place and others are dedicated to historic figures like General Pulaski who is revered in these parts! In any case, each one has its own charm and a story to go with it. My favorite was the square where the house from the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" took place. We even saw the lady supposedly written about in the book while she was walking her dog. Our trolley driver pointed her out and I am sure it was her!

We visited the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum and were very impressed. It is housed in a old sea captain's home a block or two off the water called the Scarbrough House, built in 1819, for the owner of the Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. The ship models were amazing and the salvaged trinkets and china from shipwrecks were on display.

We did alot of walking on the waterfront, shopped at the "city market", and ate lunch at the famous Pirate's House. This is the oldest standing structure in Georgia and is a maze of small rooms in a large house. The wood is original and makes you wonder how it withstands any high winds at all. They are known for their delicious Southern cooking and recommended over Paula Deen's Place. At the end of the afternoon, too early to go back to the hotel, we decided last minute to drive down to Tybee Island. Neither of us had ever been there and we are so glad we went.

Tybee Island on a late Sunday afternoon in January was just beautiful. My love for the ocean made it even more special. We walked out into the ocean on this tremendously long pier, talked to many people and just soaked it all in. It was approaching dusk so we headed to the car and to find a place for some liquid refreshment (I know, you're surprised!). We happened upon a little place on a side street right off the beach called "Doc's ". Not many in there but those that were were very friendly and before you knew it we were in the middle of a conversation about the races they were planning to have at the bar in February. They were speaking about these races rather sheepishly and the man that came up with the idea was trying to conceal his laughter. I waited a while but couldn't control myself any longer and had to ask what the race was all about. I asked if it was crab races or turtle races since I had seen both of those somewhere. He said,noooo, not really. He sidled over to me and quietly explained that they were dido races. He came up with this idea to put four short plastic legs on the bottom of a dildo, attach a battery pack and let 'em go! This really tickled me and we had a good time discussing all the possibilities that this brought to mind.........

Richard and Marion, Bob's younger bro', had lived on Tybee for a short while and I thought while we were at Doc's that this is a place they would have liked. So Bob called Richard and found out that they had lived just around the corner and frequented Doc's frequently!!!! We had alot of fun trying to explain to him about the "races".

On to Ft. Myers and Bob's older bro' Warren. Suffice it to say that the weather in South Florida was much warmer than what we had experienced in Georgia in the last month so we were delighted to be there! Warren showed us around the city he's lived in for 25 years or so and seems to know everyone we ran into. We took in the flea market where he worked as security, really quite a place. Not only was it huge, 900 stores, it had its own food court and served beer! Well, we made a day of it! The boys drank and schmoozed while I shopped. Not bad at all for a sunny day in Florida.

I have photos which I will post shortly! (next day or two)

CRISTMAS CHEER 2

2008-12-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

Here's the closeup of Bob's t-shirt! And he willingly wore it without any threats.

See last posting for full photo including Bob's face!!

CHRISTMAS CHEER

2008-12-22T16:41:00.000-08:00

Here's Big Bob celebrating Christmas with his new Tee! In the next post I will show a closeup! I haven't figured out how to get two photos uploaded from Picasa to our blog on the same post!

We are off from Christmas Eve day through Saturday so we are going to my sister Jodi's for her annual Open House on Christmas Eve. She has done this for 20 years and I have not been able to be there!

Then on Christmas Day, we are taking Mom and Dad downtown to see Centennial Park (Olympic venue) and the decorated trees there. We have reservations at a seafood restaurant, Legal Seafood! Funny name but heard the food is good.

Merry Christmas to all !

Cooper's Furnace, Cartersville, Georgia

2008-12-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's the photo of the furnace at the day use area of Lake Allatoona where Tom and Bev volunteer. This was part of a mill that existed to make pig iron. A train brought the materials in and remains of the trestle are nearby. As you can see, the Corp of Engineers have fenced it off but for special occasions they allow it to be used for a backdrop for wedding pictures.

The Tourist Thing, take two

2008-12-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

Here we are with Bob, the weatherman. Couldn't figure out how to get this pix into my previous posting so made a new one. My brain is fried from all this new stuff. But I am proud, so very proud that I got this far! Next project: learn to download videos I have made. Not today!

Doing the Tourist thing!

2008-12-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

Well, well well.......I am just as proud as a peacock. I have mastered the art of transferring my photo files from my camera to my PC. I thought it only fitting to show you the most recent first.

We had the opportunity to go on a VIP tour of CNN Morning News Express show this week. For those not familiar with Robin Meade, she is the anchor on that show, Monday thru Friday, 6-10 AM EST. Bob and I have been watching that show for about 2 years and enjoy all of the on air personalities. We had no idea that we would be the only ones on the tour Thursday and therefore got special treatment. Got to stay in the control room for several minutes and actually see and hear what they do. Even allowed us to stand right behind all the various directors and see first hand how a TV show is produced. Pretty cool.

Then we had a meet and greet with Robin and Company. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. As you can see, they even took time to take some photos with us. That's Rafer, the sportscaster, and Robin with Bob and me. Bob the weatherman had to run somewhere for a moment but he came back and took a pix later. Robin is a doll, so genuine and of course, very easy on the eyes! Suffice it to say that when it was time to say goodbye, Bob was first in line for a hug!

Goofing Around!

2008-11-20T06:35:00.000-08:00

This is getting to be fun!

Wanted to show you the photographer of the first photo. That's Bev on the right and we are just fooling around on that same trail, Cooper's Furnace. Yes, there is a furnace and soon I will post a pix of that.

NOW HEAR THIS, NOW HEAR THIS

2008-11-19T14:31:00.000-08:00

My first photo to our blog and I cheated!

The pix was taken by our friends, Tom and Bev, from Ohio. They are also volunteering at Lake Allatoona, Cooper's Furnace day use area. They are about 15 miles from us. We were hiking on one of their trails when this photo was taken. Tom emailed it to me and voila' I figured out how to get it here.

Next time, I'll try uploading from my camera! Baby steps.......

The Gatekeepers

2008-11-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

We have settled in to our life here at Galt's Ferry very nicely. The days go by as fast or faster than they did before. The weather here is superb, mostly sunny days with a chill in the air in the mornings and evenings. Most days have been above 60 degrees with lows in the high 40's. Since we've been here, there has only been three days with rain which is great for Harley riding and very bad for the drought conditions that some areas are still experiencing. The fall colors have been amazing and they say they weren't at their best this year but we thought they were spectacular.

Our old friends from Ohio (that is, friends for many years) Tom and Bev are also workamping at Lake Allatoona. They are about 15 miles from us and they are hosts of the Cooper's Furnace day use area. We get together and compare notes regarding these high pressure jobs we have. Tom was also in the IT business for many years and now enjoys a more leisurely pace!

We recently had a mini-crisis in the family. Bob's daughter Allison was in dire need of transportation and since she lives in Cleveland, Ohio, we thought it would be easier to buy a car for her here in Georgia and drive it up rather than looking for one in Ohio. Well, the process wasn't as easy as we thought it would be. Good, used cars are hard to come by. If its still for sale after 3 days, its a safe bet its a junker. We caught on to that quickly and made an excellent purchase of a Honda Civic. Took it to my sister's mechanic who gave it a clean bill of health and Bob was on his way to Cleveland! He had a great time seeing Alex and granddaughter Taylor and flew back here in time to work the last day of our four day week! While he was gone, I got to be the gatekeeper all by myself and give out the tickets, too! After three days, I looked forward to him coming home, though!

Our Thanksgiving will be spent at my Mom and Dad's place with my sisters and their families. It should be fun as we haven't been together for turkey day in many, many years. We have volunteered to work over Christmas holidays in order to have two weeks off in January to visit Bob's bro Warren in Fort Myers, Florida. That's just a little too far to go in four days even if we took the car instead of the bikes.

This past Saturday we went for a ride to Amicalola Falls. We met a couple, Mollie and Lonnie, who live near our park while we were doing our rounds one day. We got to talking (I know, surprise, surprise) and discovered they rode and they offered to take us up to the Falls. It was a gorgeous ride while being a little nippy in the mountains.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the exciting weekend we had a few weeks ago. We were on duty one Saturday and saw a few Sheriff's cars come speeding into our boat ramp area. We discovered that they were looking for two prisoners that had escaped from the county jail! At the same time, not too far from here the lake was being dredged for a missing person believed to have drowned while fishing. They did find the unfortunate fisherman but we never heard about the escapees. I'm sure they've apprehended them by now or they are long gone from this area, In either case, it made for some interesting conversations!

I have been documenting our escapades with photos and videos and vow to master the technology of uploading to our blog by this time next year. No, really, I hope to be proficient at that very shortly. So until next time, hasta la vista, baby.

Midnight train to Georgia

2008-10-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

Got your attention, didn't I? Yeah, I know we weren't on a train, it wasn't midnight but we are here in Georgia!

Arrived at Lake Allatoona, Acworth, Georgia on September 30th. (went on MDA cruise last week but I'll save that for another post!) For our first "jobs" on the road, we have volunteered to be hosts of a day use area and boat ramp at a Army Corps of Engineers lake. We are sharing the job with another host couple, Charles and Sis. Two better people we couldn't have asked for, they've been helpful, friendly and happy to share tips as they have been doing this on and off for many years.

Our first day of work was October 1st. In preparation for this, the ranger, Linda came by and spent a few minutes explaining the ins and outs of locking and unlocking the three gates! What responsibilities we have now.....I'm not sure we can handle this. Basically, 8 AM we open the Galts Ferry Day Use Area gate and lock the overnight boat ramp gate. Then we check to see if all the vehicles pulling trailers have the appropriate credentials displayed on their rear view mirrors. If not, we have an envelope which we leave for them to place $3 in for the use of the ramp. They are on their honor and thats as involved as we get. We walk the area that is set aside for day use only and make sure there are no pets or alcohol being consmed. (I'm not sure that Bob is the one to patrol for alcohol but so far so good) We make three rounds of the park during the day and reverse the procedure with the gates at 6PM. THAT IS IT! We "work" four days on and four days off and can do whatever we want at the campsite between rounds. For this exhausting work, we are given our site for free including all utilities.

Now I need to tell you about our campsite. It is much nicer than I dared to hope. First, there are only the two host sites here so we have alot of privacy and woods around us. The site is paved and has a HUGE cement patio with a corner fire pit, large picnic table, built in grill and a shed to store anything we don't want to put back in the rig or leave outside. The host that was here during the summer season left us some potted geraniums and a garden of begonias at the entrance to our Shangri La! The lake can be seen from here but only in patches until the leaves are off the trees. I will post photos as soon as I figure out how to do that!

Our first four days went quickly just as these next days have and tomorrow its back to "work" again. We have been visited by one of my sisters, Beth and her husband Ron who live within 30 minutes from here. Bob's brother Richard and Marion visited last Thursday and spent the night. That is another advantage-people can visit while we "work" and can even make the rounds with us if they are so inclined. But people, in case you're thinking of coming to see us, remember - Bob is the only one that wears the Volunteer Host hat!

The people that use this park are from all parts of the globe. We've met a man from Nigeria, a woman from Brazil and someone from Harrison, Arkansas. We let everyone in! We've been trying to get our exercize in while working so sometimes we take our bicycles on our rounds. I'm getting pretty good at riding our 7 speed foldable bikes and soon will be able to get it out of first gear.

Some of the every day housekeeping chores keep me busy. I allow 30 minutes for dusting and vacuuming about twice a week, clean the kitchen thoroughly in about 15 minutes and try to keep up with the bathroom on a daily basis.

The televison issue has been somewhat of an Achilles Heel for Bob. We purchased a VuCube before we left Arkansas. This is an extremely lightweight plastic cube the size of a book box. Inside is the antenna which is used to pick up satellite transmission (or reception, I don't know). This cube is a newer version of those little gray dishes you see all over campgrounds. You have the option of mounting to your roof but if there are trees at your site they could block the southern sky and voila' - NO TV. So we opted to get the one that you set up on the ground.

Now, in order to get service you must also subscribe to Dish TV or DirecTV. We have the latter.

Bob spent the better part of last Thursday attempting to set all of this up. I must say, he was diligent and remained calm and collected. I only saw him boot the Cube across the street only once. No, all kidding aside, he got it working and it was wonderful. The only issue that we have now is the unintentional movement of the Cube when the grass sways or the leaves sideswipe it! It is sooooo lightweight that any little thing that repositions the Cube messes with our reception. Bob has had to reprogram (sorry to use that word with Bob) the Cube twice today. Now that he knows what the problem is he has said he has several solutions, none being to kick it across the street again. But the solutions must wait for another day. Bob finally agreed to go to "Doctor in a box" today. (actually a physician's assistant at Walgreens, there are no Walmart clinics) He's had a cold for 4 weeks which has led to bronchitis. We got some meds for him and he should be good to go in 3-4 days. But his Cube solutions will have to wait..........

Our Harleys Went Home!!

2008-09-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

We are back in Bella Vista, safe and sound. Our trip to Milwaukee for the Harley 105th Anniversary celebration was stupendous!

We took 12 days to do 1,850 miles and we made the most of them. We left home early so we could stop and spend some time with our dear friends Doc and Dorothy in Vinton, Iowa. They took us to Cedar Rapids to see the devastation caused by the flooding on June 13th. Its hard to imagine 1,300 city blocks under water but that's what happened. Doc's sister has a home there and of course it is uninhabitable. Many families displaced and facing hardships that you don't consider unless this happens to you.

Our visit with them was lovely and went too fast. But they did get to teach us how to play cribbage! We are slow learners and we may have it licked by the time we see them again!! Anyone want to play cribbage with us?

On to Milwaukee and the VIP Reception at the new Harley Davidson Museum. (we are considered VIPs by virtue of our fundraising efforts for the Muscular Dystrophy Assn) It was great seeing so many people we had met over the years at the national telethon. It was a reunion of sorts for us and one we really enjoyed! And the honor of being able to visit the museum was way cooool. It is a fantastic collection of Harley's and motorcycling memorabilia and displayed in innovative ways. We were able to tour the archives and refurbishment areas which are off limits to the general public! If you have the chance to go, we highly recommend it.

The next day Harley Owner's Group (HOG) was celebrating their 25th Anniversary with a huge shindig at Miller Stadium. It was a lot of fun but disappointing as far as the facilities went. I think the crowd was more than expected and made for long lines for food and drink. An hour to stand in line for nachos is about 50 minutes too much! I was particularly excited about seeing Sugarland perform that evening. Luckily, we were invited to enter the MDA VIP area where we could see the jumbo tron.

Staying downtown was great as we could take shuttles, buses and cabs to the different venues for the Harley celebration and not worry about parking or safety issues. (meaning, we could drink!).

The highlight of the 105th for both of us had to be the Parade! We were at the front with other MDA fundraisers, right behind the Harley execs. Following us were the rest of the 7,500 motorcycles made up of Harley employees, Hog Chapter reps, and participants chosen by lottery. This was quite a humbling experience. Milwaukeeians (?) were lining the 7 mile parade route on both sides of the street waving and holding signs "Welcome Harley Riders", giving us thumbs up. I think they were as excited to be there as we were to be in the parade. Bob and I got to ride next to each other and at some point in the procession I noticed the crowd cheering a little louder on Bob's side of the street. Bob was egging them on (I know you are not surprised) by shouting "HELLO MILWAUKEE" and then cupping his ear and waiting for them to respond! Well, they just ate that up! The parade route took us 45 minutes to complete at about 10 miles an hour (a lot of clutching). And the last bikes rolled in about 4 hours after we did!

That evening Bruce Springsteen performed at Veteran's Park. We arrived there at 6 PM which we thought was early enough since the concert didn't start till 8:30 PM. Wrong! We were at the back of the lawn area and had purchased Harley ground sheets. They are plastic squares of sheeting with the 105th logo for the purpose of spreading on the ground. We planned on napping while waiting for Bruce as we had gotten up that morning at 3:45 AM for parade staging. Well, have you ever tried to sleep while thousands of partyers are surrounding you? Actually, many of them looked more exhausted than we were but we couldn't doze. We lasted through Bruce's 4th song and then headed for a cab. At our age, or I should say Bob's age, you really have to pick and choose what is important to you 'cuz you can't do it all. :) I heard the next day that Bruce played for 3 1/2 hours and was quite the entertainer!

We started for home on Sunday. Bob said that if we rode hard for two days we could get home on Monday. I asked him why since we had no appointments until Wednesday. He responded "Oh, yea, I thought I had to be at work on Tuesday". So I think retirement hasn't totally sunk in yet. Subconsciously, I believe Bob thinks he's on an extended vacation! That should end soon.

We had 12 days of dry weather until we got 20 miles from home. Then the heavens dropped out and we were soaked. That's OK-we couldn't have asked for anything better during our trip. It was quite the motorcycling adventure and I was thrilled to make it on my Harley!

2008-08-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are nearly two weeks into Bob's retirement! It is zooming by. There is alot of adjusting to do and we are working on that. Moving in to the RV and retirement so close together has made for some interesting days and nights, to say the least. Our biggest hurdle is remembering where we stowed certain items. We spend considerable time just looking for things especially now that we are getting ready to ride to Milwaukee.

Campground life is like any other little community. Most people are very friendly and happy to share their experiences full-timing in an RV. And everyone has their own take on how to decide where your state of residence should be! Ultimately, everyone has to decide what is best for their situation as there are alot of factors to consider. When we have made our decision I will report back.

One fun thing here at Blowing Springs is Happy Hour! At 4:30 every afternoon, we meet at the pavilion for fellowship and libations. So far, Bob has attended on a regular basis! I know you all are surprised at that.......

Our next big hurdle to clear will be weighing the rig before we get on the road to Georgia. Every RV has a maximum gross vehicle weight rating. To be safe you should pay attention to this! Since we have loaded our "stuff" in here, we have no idea what we weigh fully loaded with the Harleys, water, etc. We will be taking the rig to be weighed at a truck stop in a few weeks. In my mind, I have this picture of things being flung out the doors and windows when we discover we are too heavy! Hopefully, we won't need to do that. If we filled up all the storage that we have in here, we certainly would be over and that is hard not to do. Maybe we'll be way under and I can get some "stuff" out of storage but I doubt it.

I'll report on our trip to Milwaukee when we get back after Labor Day.

First Installment!

2008-08-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are into my first post! I wanted to wait until I had some spectacular idea of what to write on my initial posting. I wanted to look back at this, my first blog and admire how well written and thought out it was. But I realized I could be waiting a long time and people are getting impatient as we've given our blog URL to anyone that would listen and even to some that wouldn't! Some people thought our first post should be on the day we pull out of Bella Vista heading to Georgia. Others thought we should start right away and report on what's happening with us now. So for those that are in the latter group, read on. Those in the former group, stop reading NOW! Come back on September 29th, the day we plan to pull out!

For those that may not know, and there aren't many of you, Bob has three more days to work! I am amazed how quickly this has come up. Of course, that's only my opinion. Bob would tell you that its taken forever to get here! He delayed the start of his retirement by many years, partially due to finances and partially due to his concern over me. As I am soooooo much younger than him, he wanted to make sure I would be taken care of in my later years since statistically he will be departing this world before me. And for that, I publicly want to acknowledge my gratitude and appreciation for his loving and caring ways and for being Bob!

Now with all that out of the way, I will proceed to fill you in on yesterday. I went skydiving!!!! I did a tandem jump Sunday afternoon at the Siloam Springs Airport drop zone. And it was a hundred times better than I ever imagined. My fear went away as soon as I boarded the plane and showed back up 15 minutes later when the instructor opened the door of this tiny, tiny plane. My first fleeting thought was wow, its way cooler up here. (temp on the ground was 103) Then I noticed how strong the wind was coming thru that open door. And my third thought was oh my, the sky is incredibly blue! My fear dissolved when I placed my right foot on the step I shared with my instructor Christian, AKA Swede. I was ready and actually impatient to get out of that plane.

We had 34 seconds of free fall with the videotographer Todd about two feet in front of me filming
from his helmet cam. And here is where words fail me. The complete and utter rush I experienced during those 34 seconds is something indescribable. There are no words I can come up with to do it justice. So suffice it to say, if anyone has the inclination to do this, I highly recommend it. It is not overrated.